I recently ran across two different, new apps in development for smartphones and iPhones, both of which purport to measure a person’s mental health, happiness and even depression completely passively. (“Apps” are tiny pieces of software that run most commonly on portable devices.)
This, of course, is a Big Deal, since one of the major stumbling blocks of the thousands upon thousands of health apps are their need for something or someone to input personal health data. Without personal health data, health and mental health apps are generally pretty useless.
The method to measure one’s psychological well-being (or, as we more commonly refer to it, one’s happiness) passively is to use whatever metrics are available through the phone. Since phones generally only have a limited amount of inputs — voice, video, geo-positioning (GPS), and an accelerometer — your choices as a researcher interested in personal health data are pretty limiting.
Using only these four physical measurements, is it really possible to accurately and reliably measure a person’s well-being? Let’s find out.
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With the question you ask in the very title I was surprised the post itself makes sense. The question kind of answers itself, doesn’t it? Is there an app for monitoring your Aerican-ness, your God-ness, your ability to grow flowers and kick dogs? Why not take it a step further and wish for an app the tells people what to read and what not to read on the internet? Actually, governments are working on it as we speak. Until they have ‘em, they’ll censor the internet. A long-winded way of saying this question would also have answered itself: “Is there a Government to Monitor Your Happiness?”. Put differently, yes, sadly, there WILL be an app.
If this is not further example of the dumbing down and oversimplification of life, then I am wondering if I have seen it all. But, I know better than to say so.
The better app would be, if you are feeling hopeless, suicidal, or downright ready to explode and put others at risk, then the app would direct the user to the nearest ER/support hot line to gain support.
But, that would make sense and not make money for someone, so, forget that suggestion!