Have your social media feeds been filled with news and commentary onThe Mind of Jake Paul?
Yeah, same here.
The new eight-part docu-series hosted by YouTuber Shane Dawson has become super popularand controversial.
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The show seeks to uncover whyanotherYouTube megastar, Jake Paul, is the way he is.
He also poses the much more serious question, Is Jake Paul a sociopath?
The first episode kicks off with Dawson wondering about the bizarre nature of YouTube culture in general.
(YouTubers have to have some kind of personality disorder, something, right?
To do what we doputting ourselves on camera all the time, he says.)
In episode two, Dawson asks Morton about sociopathy in general, without bringing up Jake at first.
Usually, probably, Morton replies.
Meanwhile, clips of Jake getting a tattoo and driving fast with a friend in the passenger seat play.
Then, Dawson proposes Jake as a specific example to Morton.
I mean, I don’t know him, Morton says.
Hes done things to people, like terrorizing members of his team, right?
The lack of emotion in his eyes and stuff is kind of creepy.
But I’d have toI don’t know, is he?
I mean does he, is he remorseful?
Does he just pretend he’s remorseful?
We see videos where he says he is, I don’t know.
Again, while neither person is explicitly calling Jake a sociopath, the discussion around is-he-or-isnt-he continues.
Ive seen videos of Logan at funerals.
He doesnt cry at funerals.
He vlogged at a funeral, so he didnt have empathy in that situation, Dawson says.
Now you might be thinking, Well, then it sounds like Jake Paul could be a sociopath.
Whats the big deal?
Lets take a step back and briefly address what sociopathy isand isnt: Sociopathy is not a clinical diagnosis.
We give a shot to avoid the term because it just doesnt have any formal meaning.
Its used as an epithet.
(The terms are still sometimes used interchangably, according to theNational Institutes of Health).
Morton claims that you’re able to intuit when somebody is a sociopath.
This diagnosis is a really complex thing to undertake, and requires these long interviews.
Even having all the relevant information doesnt always ensure a reliable diagnosis.
Even when we undertake these incredibly complicated interviews with people, experts don’t always agree.
In reality, the behaviors some experts may link to ASPD span a spectrum.
Dixon-Gordon adds, By definition, [personality disorders] represent maladaptive variance of normative personality functioning.
In episode two, Morton cites a statistic that one in 25 people is a sociopath.
(This stat is arguably outdated and was derived from several studies dating back to the 90s.)
Theres no categorical cutoff.
Its almost like asking, How many people are tall?
Depends on where you draw the cutoff for tall.
Dixon-Gordon makes a similar argument.
it’s possible for you to always cherry pick peoples bad behaviors, Lilienfeld says.
But you have to take the person in the totality of their actionsits a mistake not to.
You would need to know about the inner life of the person and not deduce it from their behaviors.
I think the internet stars, thats like theater.
The practice can generate misperceptions both about the condition and the individual in question.
Its irresponsible and its unethical.
They’re labeling a person and validating it in a way they have no right to do.
SELF reached out to Morton for comment, and we will update the article when we hear back.
This was not a session.
This was a friend of mine coming over asking for my expertise on a diagnosable mental illness.
So I did what any other clinician would do, I grabbed myDSM.
Morton also said in her video statement that she had good intentions.
I would never intentionally create content that would ever hurt or upset anyone.
My goal is to educate and empower you, she continued.
Morton also praised Dawson for involving her in the first place.
c’mon do not self diagnose or diagnose others.
and also that its not the obvious awkward kid its someone you would never expect.
people who fly under the radar.
Dawson has also been responding to the uproar by apologizing to those he has offended and defending the series.
So I apologize for that genuinely.
And I was wrong for doing that.
We also reached out to Jake, who declined to comment at this time. )
In aSnapchat apology, Dawson took a similar position to Morton regarding his motives for making the show.
Yes, even if its through insinuation and implication and with the use of clear disclaimers.
Even if its just for entertainment purposes and dramatic effect.
And yes, even if he might be in on it.
Its just a really bad idea, Dr. Schouten says of armchair diagnosing under any circumstances.
As Lilienfield puts it, The general rule is better safe than sorry, and to avoid it.
