• A Smartphone That Detects Whether Its User Is Depressed
    43 replies, posted
[QUOTE]“Siri, how do I feel right now?” Apple’s automated assistant might not be so perceptive as to know, but your smartphone may soon be able to assess your mood and determine if you are suffering from symptoms of depression. Researchers at Northwestern University are creating a kind of virtual therapist called Mobilyze to help people that tend to ignore symptoms of their depression realize that they need to take measures to deal with their moods. The algorithm-based Mobilyze would rely on a bevy of data--location, social activity, physical activity, what a user is doing, etc.--to determine behavior patterns and recognize if they are behaving normally or seem to be deviating from their normal behavior, particularly in ways that suggest depression. That data will come from sensors and technology already present in most smartphones, like Bluetooth, GPS, gyros, accelerometers, and Wi-Fi. If the phone determines that a person is acting in a depressed manner, it can provide automated texts to the users’ friends and families or to users themselves, prompting them to call someone or simply to get out of the house and do something. The technology has already been trialled on eight patients, who all showed improvement in dealing with their depression at the end of the treatment. More testing is slated for this summer.[/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-02/app-measures-your-mood-and-lets-you-know-if-youre-depressed[/url]
This is nice and all, but at some point, you need to ask "how far is to far" when it comes to learning about an individual, or even going so far as to intervene in their life without permission. I'm glad someone is taking the time to create this kind of technology, but at the same time, I worry for where it may take us.
This kind of invasion of privacy is the reason I'm glad I don't have an Iphone. The only real way this can or will work is if you force it on people you believe are depressed, people who think they're depressed and want to take action themselves aren't going to go get an app to alert their friends about their mood.
[QUOTE=tinhead50;34645947]This is nice and all, but at some point, you need to ask "how far is to far" when it comes to learning about an individual, or even going so far as to intervene in their life without permission. I'm glad someone is taking the time to create this kind of technology, but at the same time, I worry for where it may take us.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=soulharvester;34645958]This kind of invasion of privacy is the reason I'm glad I don't have an Iphone.[/QUOTE] look guys i'm gonna take a huge leap here and assume this isn't going to come standard on the iPhone. then again it's in the article so it's probably not a big leap is it...
[QUOTE=soulharvester;34645958]This kind of invasion of privacy is the reason I'm glad I don't have an Iphone. [/QUOTE] what does it have to do with the iPhone? It doesn't seem to be specific to any one model of phone, as long as the phone has the necessary hardware.
what if I'm already depressed when I get the device? when the depression goes away does it assume something is wrong? this is sillly
Guess I assumed that because they mentioned Siri. Still only going to be effective if you force it on people though.
[QUOTE=soulharvester;34646040]Guess I assumed that because they mentioned Siri. [/QUOTE] so you didn't read past the first sentence. very good, you'll do great in this section carry on
*buys phone* *depression alarm always goes off when I touch it* *saddowns*
[QUOTE=thisispain;34646053]so you didn't read past the first sentence. very good, you'll do great in this section carry on[/QUOTE] I did read the entire thing, however I read siri and assumed that when they said "smart phone" they were talking about Iphones specifically because they had previously mentioned "Apple's automated assistant". And they never made any further mention of what it would be available on.
[QUOTE=ButtsexV3;34646035]what if I'm already depressed when I get the device? when the depression goes away does it assume something is wrong? this is sillly[/QUOTE] Then your phone accuses you of being overbearing and annoyingly upbeat, and tells you shut the fuck up once in a while.
"Hm, I feel like sushi instead of pizza tonight." *SCHEDULING YOU FOR PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION*
"I think I'm going to buy the new Samsung Galaxy S4" *Sir, you are depressed now, please seek some rest or medical treatment* - iPhone 5GXS
"Find me a club" "I found 28 psychaistrists near you"
I may need this phone, I've been feeling depressed a lot lately.
[QUOTE=Rocko's;34647076]I may need this phone, I've been feeling depressed a lot lately.[/QUOTE] no, you need to talk to a person
i can't see this really getting useful data off of anyone unless they have an extremely regularly planned life.
[QUOTE=Goberfish;34647094]no, you need to talk to a person[/QUOTE] I am, not helping much.
[QUOTE=GameDev;34646626]"Find me a club" [/QUOTE] "I found 38 high-rise buildings and three train stations near you"
If people don't know they are depressed, then maybe they aren't? If you are depressed, you'll know it. I really don't see any reason for a phone telling you you have some serious psychological condition, only thing that will happen is people actually becoming depressed because they suddenly think they are. Psychological conditions should be left to trained professionals.
There are major world destroying flaws: 1.It's from Apple. 2.It doesn't have real buttons.
[QUOTE=!TROLLMAIL!;34648579]There are major world destroying flaws: 1.It's from Apple. 2.It doesn't have real buttons.[/QUOTE] did you even read the article, besides looking at the picture of an iPhone at the top? what are you even talking about?
[QUOTE=iFail;34648617]did you even read the article, besides looking at the picture of an iPhone at the top? what are you even talking about?[/QUOTE] Why,i hate smartphones,hell i even built a scrambling tower that fucks them up in a 300km radius.
[QUOTE=!TROLLMAIL!;34648631]Why,i hate smartphones,hell i even built a scrambling tower that fucks them up in a 300km radius.[/QUOTE] Well aren't you a hardass?
[QUOTE=acds;34647767]If people don't know they are depressed, then maybe they aren't? If you are depressed, you'll know it. I really don't see any reason for a phone telling you you have some serious psychological condition, only thing that will happen is people actually becoming depressed because they suddenly think they are. Psychological conditions should be left to trained professionals.[/QUOTE] Did [I]any[/I] of you assholes actually read the article? [QUOTE]Researchers at Northwestern University are creating a kind of virtual therapist called Mobilyze to help [b]people that tend to ignore symptoms of their depression[/b] realize that they need to take measures to deal with their moods.[/QUOTE] [i]This implies they had depression to start with.[/i]
Should probably come built-in with an iPhone. If I had to use an iPhone for the next couple of years, I'd be pretty depressed too.
[QUOTE=Xenocidebot;34648855]Did [I]any[/I] of you assholes actually read the article? [i]This implies they had depression to start with.[/i][/QUOTE] No it does not. Not to mention, if you can [B]ignore[/B] the symptoms and make them go away like that, it's hardly a depression, it's just a bad day. Also you seem upset.
"Siri, What should I do?" "Kill yourself"
[QUOTE=acds;34649167]No it does not.[/QUOTE] Yes, it does. I'm sorry I assumed you were competent with the english language. [QUOTE]The technology has already been trialled on eight [B]patients[/B][/QUOTE] How much more explicit do you need this to be, kid?
[QUOTE=Xenocidebot;34650027]Yes, it does. I'm sorry I assumed you were competent with the english language. How much more explicit do you need this to be, kid?[/QUOTE] [quote]Researchers at Northwestern University are creating a kind of virtual therapist called Mobilyze to help people that tend to ignore symptoms of their depression realize that they need to take measures to deal with their moods.[/quote] That only means the people ignoring the depression symptoms have depression (which is kind of obvious, otherwise there would be no depression symptoms to ignore in the first place), not that they have been diagnosed with it by a professional (and how does it determine depression unless it has confirmation by a professional? It can't. Well it can but again a smartphone is not a good source for mental diagnosis). Now if will actually only be used by/on people with a proper diagnosis from a professional beforehand is another matter.
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