It's too bad that Dr. Spiesel has nothing to say on the issue of nail biting. I find infuriating, however, Slate's decision to waste five minutes of my life with a video just to prove what could have been easily summed up in a sentence that would take me 30 seconds or less to read: "Modern medicine has no insight into or remedy for this problem."

I was just coming here to post the exact same thing. When I was a child, my mother asked the doctor advice to curb my biting. He said I would grow out of it. I never grew out of it. Dr. Spiesel had nothing new to say except that biting wasn't such a big deal. Thanks for the advice.

"Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors"

Here, here. I however, did not waste 5 minutes. I quit after about a min 30. While I agree wholeheartedly with samfaith, I have to add on a rather petty note that Emily Bazelons' voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I know I should not say anything if I can't say something nice but I feel like I should speak where others may have previously held their tongues. Emily, I think you should start smoking, heavily. And, maybe drinking as well. Scotch if you can muster it. I think if you work hard and stay focused on the task, you can transform that annoying tinny sorority/valley girl voice into something more mature and velvety and worth listening to. I fully grasp the gravity of my shallowness and I do not wish to invoke idiot status on Emily just because I think she has an annoying voice. However, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Thank you for saying so precisely what I feel as well. To add insult to injury, Slate IT geniuses are oblivious to computers running on DSL, because that awful, empty piece took forever to load on my reasonably powerful machine.

Given that my family's own pediatrician suggested counseling for our son's nail-biting, I found Dr. Spiesel's response really refreshing and more in tune with my own reaction (but not my wife's). I do wish that they had spent some time on the other habit my son has, of eating his nose-candy and specifically the genuine social price that he pays as a result. I've learned to live with the nail-biting and will show the video to my wife - but the other habit is harder to live with.

As for Emily's voice, one man's nails on a chalkboard is another man's pheromone. I can't wait until Friday's for the political gabfest to come out so I can hear Emily speak!