So, dear readers. rather than assuming mental health apps don’t work because I haven’t done a good job of using them and letting them help me, let’s have a conversation about what mental health apps have, or haven’t, worked for you, and why. I’m curious to know what the crowd has to say, and what advice you would give others.
We know where the story goes from there, but if you have kids who spend any time online, you may want to give it a read and dig deeper into some of the linked resources they’ve created for parents. There’s some good information about what to look for and how to teach kids to be more aware.
Don’t just assume this won’t happen to your kid.
The Internet Watch Foundation has released a checklist for parents concerned about the safety of their children online.
Even though some companies might have gotten this all wrong, we still have the same issues we’ve had with mental health services that we’ve had for years. It’s too difficult for too many people to access. Technology can help eliminate some hurdles preventing people from getting help. That is worth doing when it’s done right. Those services can and should go away when it’s not done right. The fact that many are indicates that chasing money is not the way.
That shouldn’t ever be the way. It doesn’t mean online therapy itself is a bad idea, though. We must be careful to get it right.
I wanted to share this with you because John Oliver makes some important points about how we have made so many strides in acceptance and encouraging people that it is OK to ask for help, and then the system doesn’t provide it. Sadly things have gotten so bad that we’re trying just about anything, and even the technology isn’t living up to the hype.
Real people with real needs are left with nowhere to turn. A society that claims to care about people cannot accept that status quo.
