Anxiety Tech: Gadgetry to soothe the modern mind
Increased use of digital technology is contributing to a global mental health crisis, but could it also provide some of the solutions needed to tackle this monumental challenge?
Published in March 2024, The Anxious Generation is the latest book by US social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, in which he argues that the decline of free play and increased use of smartphones and social media among children and teens has given rise to an epidemic of mental illness.
Haidt’s central line of reasoning is that the arrival of smartphones in the early 2010s aligns with a sharp rise in the number of young people reporting symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, and that this is no coincidence. More time spent in the social metaverse, whether it’s constant texting, playing video games or comparing ourselves to others on social media, is taking a severe toll on mental health, overloading developing brains with unrealistic expectations, lowering self-worth and ensuring that far less time is spent in the real world.
Between 2010 and 2015, the number of US teenagers exhibiting symptoms of depression soared 150%. Since then, the situation has only got worse, with one in five adolescents now experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a 2024 report by independent health policy research organisation the KFF. And while some are receiving care, the report finds that many teenagers are not receiving any therapy – whether it’s due to the cost, fear of what others will think or simply not knowing where to look. While young people are being hardest hit by this shift, other age groups are being impacted too, with one in seven Boomers saying their mental health has got worse in the last three years.
Perhaps ironically, given the connection to rising tech use, some of the most innovative and promising solutions we are seeing emerge to combat mental health issues are digital ones. While one-to-one therapy with a human remains unaffordable or inaccessible to many people, the case studies highlighted below have the potential to be made available at scale, offering valuable mental health support to those that need it most.
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Los Angeles-based non-profit medical centre Cedars-Sinai launched Xaia in early 2024, using the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset to provide users remote AI-powered therapy sessions.
Moonbird
领英推荐
Introduced at CES 2024, the Moonbird is the first-ever breathing coach that fits in the palm of your hand. The Belgian start-up, launched in 2019, has created a product to help individuals regulate their breathing and combat anxiety.
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