Is Web 2.0 really a good thing?

Some very interesting commentary here from US journalist Philip Dawdy. A sufferer from bipolar disorder, he has some choice things to say about the narcissism and potential for mental health issues that is implicit in much of so-called Web 2.0 - he reserves particular scorn for Google and the social networking sites.

Now, I realise this is tantamount to heresy for many people (yes, I know, this is a "Web 2.0" site right here), but in a world where astonishing numbers of kids are growing up thinking it's normal to have to maintain a cast-iron online reputation, I think it's worth examining the potential implications from multiple sides (check out the comments on that link).

In the words of Gnarls Barkley, just a thought.