SlashNOT

Matthew writes: Apple computer’s new iTunes service, which allows consumers to easily purchase individual songs online, is igniting controversy as some psychologists claim that it is yet another destructive temptation for those with addiction problems or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

“They’ve made spending a buck online so easy that it can easily become compulsive.” Says Dr. Egon Trada, an addiction specialist.

“I’m treating several patients who’ve spent thousands of dollars on heavy-rhythm fueled music buying binges; they’re purchasing everything they’ve ever even remotely heard on the radio. I’ve got a seventeen-year-old male patient who just bought the entire Elton John catalog because he liked ‘Tiny Dancers’—He thought it was a song about Tony Danza. This illustrates the dangers we’re facing here.”

“iTunes is similar to a gateway drug. We’re seeing patients rapidly progress from iTunes to buying an iPod, to becoming full blown Mac users. They don’t seem to care about the social stigma of heavy Mac use, or the lack of support forums that they will face.”

“We believe that Apple needs to place controls on the service to prevent the social problems that afflict abusers. For example, suspending the accounts of people who purchase ‘indicator music’ that nobody actually likes, such as anything by Clay Aiken or Culture Club.”