Tagged With "Mobile app"
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CBC News Article: Tech companies encourage us to be smart about phones
This newly released CBC News article discusses new Smartphone management tools that enable users to get daily and weekly activity reports about the total time they spend in each app, their usage and notifications as well as the ability for parents to put controls on usage. Featured in the article, @Registered Member points out that this may be one avenue to help reduce or minimize Smartphone use but that there are also other options such as turning off notifications and scheduling...
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[Anonymous, Online Academic Study] Testing a web-based application for Depression and concerning gambling! (Canada,14-40 years)
Researchers at the IWK Health Centre have built a web-based app to help people change their behaviors to help improve their mood. We are looking for participants all around Canada to use it and tell us what they think about it. If you are, or know someone: Who is 14-40 years old? Who sometimes feels sad, down, or depressed and/or has little interest in doing things? Who often feels like gambling? This is a Canada wide study and there is no need to travel, as all study activities take place...
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RCMP Youth Trends Report Fall 2018
This was forwarded to me, via email, and i am passing it along. There is a lot of great information to help us understand our youth and technology better.
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Inventory of Gambling Situations mobile app now available
We have just released the new Inventory of Gambling Situations (IGS) mobile app. Launched in mid-September, this app provides a mobile-friendly version of the IGS, asking clients with problem gambling or suspected gambling problems about their past-year gambling frequency in 63 different situations that may put them at risk. The app provides an easy-to-use, accessible layout and the option for clinicians to get instant results with their clients in the absence of a computer. You or your...
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Can technology use help with anxiety and depression?
In a TED Ideas piece that came out late last year, author Chris Dancy discusses how technology has helped him deal with his depression and anxiety. He uses technology to: log his physical symptoms, mental health symptoms, feelings, thoughts, and behaviours during a panic attack or depressive episode and then reflects on these digital logs as a way to know what to expect and that he can make it through watch videos of others with similar struggles so he doesn't feel alone track his app usage...
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Google’s Play Store starts requiring games with loot boxes to disclose their odds
Detailed in an article published last week in The Verge , Google Play Store (Google's app store) will require app developers to disclose the odds of winning a prize through loot boxes in their games by September 1. Loot boxes are virtual items that players can purchase for a chance to win a prize, such as a "skin" (a cosmetic element that doesn't affect the outcome of a game, like a new outfit for your character). This new policy would also include free-to-play games that offer loot boxes,...
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Re: Inventory of Gambling Situations mobile app now available
That's good to hear! This is a great tool for identifying situations that can lead to gambling. If you work with people with gambling problems, you should check out the webinar mentioned above.
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains
I was just about to say that Aaron! Content matters! This has been an ongoing debate and I'm afraid I'm on the pro-screen time. I find these studies skewed... "If you give a child an app where they play with virtual Legos, virtual blocks, and stack them, and then put real blocks in front of them, they start all over," Why would you test block-building capacity and say this skill isn't transferable when using real blocks? Seems pretty obvious. I'm sure if you tested for non gross motor skills...
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Re: Patterns of compulsive smartphone use suggest how to kick the habit
This makes sense -- next time you're at a bus stop (or riding public transit), take a look around -- I guarantee that more than 50% are looking at their phones. This doesn't mean that Millennials or "kids these days" are bad or lazy or self-absorbed. Rather, it means that smartphone manufacturers and app developers have tapped into two previously-unknown parts of the human condition: a) the overwhelming urge to avoid the discomfort of "waiting", and b) the desire to be left alone in public.
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Webinar Recording (+ answers to your questions) - Teens and Smartphones
Thank you to all of you who came to this weeks' webinar: Teens and Smartphones: Exploring young peoples’ views of smartphone etiquette, ‘addiction’ and healthy tech use habits. You can watch a recording and download the slides here by toggling to the 'Archive' tab on this page (the recording begins around the five-minute mark). I answered several of your questions during the session but wasn't able to answer all questions so have tried to do so below. Thanks again to everyone who came, it...
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Serious games, mental health apps, and gambling disorder
The title of a recently published article, A Serious Game to Improve Emotion Regulation in Treatment-Seeking Individuals With Gambling Disorder: A Usability Study , peaked my interest for a few reasons. First, being part of a group of folks who design and create learning opportunities for mental health and addictions clinicians, we have talked about integrating "serious games" (broadly defined as games with educational or informational aims, vs. purely entertainment) into our course design.
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The Therapy-App Fantasy
https://www.thecut.com/article...867882719.1617151112 With the arrival of a global pandemic, a boom in app-based therapy soon followed as many people struggled to navigate this difficult year. While these apps claim to improve accessibility to therapists and may be a life-line for many, this article looks at how damaging these kinds of apps can be to some clients and also the therapists managing large caseloads whilst being expected to be on demand 24-7. This article is a fascinating read...
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Re: The role of online apps and interventions in gambling treatment and support
Thanks for sharing this. I'm in the process of designing/developing a self-management app for recovery from gambling problems so looking forward to hearing this presentation. Flora
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Re: The role of online apps and interventions in gambling treatment and support
This is super interesting Flora! We'd love to hear more about the development and implementation of your app.
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Re: The role of online apps and interventions in gambling treatment and support
HI, Sorry for the delay. Here is some additional information on the app. “The SPRinG app (Support for People Recovering from Gambling) is currently being developed to help, first and foremost, persons experiencing poverty and homelessness self-manage their problem gambling and other complex needs by providing constant access to support through their smartphone. The app will also function as a tool for anyone experiencing gambling concerns to manage the harms associated with excessive...
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Internet safety tips for tweens, teens, parents and caregivers
I'm always on the lookout for accessible resources that are useful for young people and their families/caregivers and professionals who work with families. Below are some links to a great blog series from the creators of Bark, an app for families and schools that can monitor and alert adults about risky or concerning activity on a young person's smartphone. Whilst the Bark app appears to currently only be available in the U.S, their team runs an interesting blog series with videos and linked...
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User testing survey - Self Management App for Recovery from Gambling
Justice and Equity Lab, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital Our lab is creating a self-management app for problem gambling called SPRinG (Supporting People Recovering from Problem Gambling). The SPRinG app is currently being developed to help, first and foremost, persons experiencing poverty and homelessness self-manage their problem gambling and other complex needs by providing people with constant access to support through their smartphone. The app will also...
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App User testing - Supporting people recovering from problem gambling
Hi everyone, A research team at St. Michael’s Hospital has been working with the community to design and develop a self-management app to help people in their recovery from problem gambling. We are entering the user testing phase. The purpose of user testing is to help inform the next phase of app design. We are asking people to answer a 16-question survey. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share the survey link ( https://redcap.utoronto.ca/surveys/?s=CYPWHAAJCHHRCK9D ) with people...
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Webinar Replay! ‘Swipe Sesh’: Exploring the Impacts of Dating Apps on Mental Health among Adults
On February 10, 2022, GGTU kicked off part 1 of a new webinar series called The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions . This series will feature 3 standalone yet interconnected webinars, each taking on a different topic in relation to technology use and mental health and/or addiction-related impacts. Part 1 featured Dr. Treena Orchard (Western University) presenting engaging new content called, ‘Swipe Sesh’: Exploring the Impacts of Dating Apps on Mental Health...
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Social media companies could be held accountable for their negative impacts on children
Photo by Ravi Sharma on Unsplash There is rising concern over the impacts of social media on children and teenagers. Lawmakers in California recently proposed a Bill to target Social Media companies and their role in negatively impacting the mental health of children and teenagers. Bill 2408 the Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act was created to help protect these vulnerable groups. Currently in the United States, Social Media companies cannot legally be held responsible for the...
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Social dilemma
The documentary called Social dilemma perfectly depicts the situation of problem technology use in the society now. - It interviews the designers of different social media platforms on how they design the app - It depicts how social media platforms are designed to gain our attention and changes our behavior - It provides ways for us to minimize the influence from social media apps
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**New Evidence-Informed Practice webpage: Using mobile apps to help clients experiencing problematic smartphone use or gambling disorder**
Looking to support clients with problematic smartphone use or gambling disorder? Read the latest Evidence-Informed practice page by CAMH GGTU: “ Using mobile apps to help clients experiencing problematic smartphone use (PSU) or gambling disorder (GD) ”. This page presents evidence on how mental health and addictions service providers can use mobile apps to better support these populations. It outlines the evidence around: how mobile apps can supplement the data collected from current...
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Re: Join us for this Webinar - We are SPRinG’g into action to help the gambling community. Launch of the SPRinG App - A digital health solution to support self-management of problem gambling.
With the main discussion being on mental health and apps, please register for this webinar to know more about how to self-manage gambling issues and concerns. Join us for the launch of the SPRinG App, see how technology can actually help ease these concerns.
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Upcoming Webinar - June 23rd: Launch of the SPRinG App. A self-managing tool for problem gambling/gaming
Quick and friendly reminder to ensure you saved a spot for an upcoming webinar: Join us for this Webinar - We are SPRinG’g into action to help the gambling community. Launch of the SPRinG App - A digital health solution to support self-management of problem gambling. | Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Community of Interest | EENet Connect
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Less Addictive Apps and the Addictive potential of Virtual Reality
llustration: Jessica Karl While discussions around technology use are often focused on the impacts of addictive app design, a recent opinion piece by Parmy Olson highlights an emerging trend of apps that are moving away from this type of design. Instead, she discusses apps like BeReal and Wordle that are more focused on building anticipation (by requiring user engagement once a day) as opposed to compulsive checking throughout the day. She also suggests that companies like Facebook who...
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Webinar Replay! Bridging the Digital Divide to Optimize Health Outcomes and Experiences for Youth
On Thursday July 21, 2022, GGTU hosted the final installment of the three-part webinar series, The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions. Dr. Skye Barbic (UBC/Foundry) and Al Raimundo (Foundry BC) co-presented this latest webinar titled, Bridging the Digital Divide to Optimize Health Outcomes and Experiences for Youth . In this webinar, the speakers described the digital health needs of young people accessing youth mental health services and outlined current ways in...
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Turning off notifications, does it actually help?
With the constant bombardment of notifications from our phones many of us feel the need to distance ourselves from these distracting alerts. So instinctively it makes sense to turn them off so we check our phones less. However, a recent study by Liao and Sundar (2022) presented research that may call into question this practice. The authors used an app to track 138 iPhone users for four days. The app tracked: Whether notifications were turned on or off The number of notifications...
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Re: Turning off notifications, does it actually help?
I turned notifications off on a couple apps that I was using and I found it very helpful. In fact, I also deleted another social media app altogether and I dont feel the need to check it. I dont have a strong fear of missing out. I do notice though that these apps do their best to try and get you back, by maybe sending emails or other types of notifications to entice you to come back. I wonder about the methodology of the research that gave the results that they got.
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Re: Turning off notifications, does it actually help?
Thanks Peter for your response! I noticed that as well, especially when I haven’t used an App in a while I would get a notification saying get back on the app or else you will lose this feature or this deal etc. As far as your question, the authors analyzed the study data they collected using the tracking app. Hope that answers your question!
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Reflections on a Webinar Series: The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions
In late 2021, I curated a three-part thematic series of webinars for the Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use (GGTU) program to host in 2022. This series was titled, The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions . Each webinar invited different experts to present on a topic that demonstrates key intersections between technology use and well-being. The series was comprised of: Part 1: ‘Swipe sesh’: Exploring the impacts of dating apps on mental health among adults ,...
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Re: Reflections on a Webinar Series: The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions
Thank you, Marie-Claire! Especially for your expert technical and planning support throughout. I agree about the presentation that showcased Foundry's innovative approach. New app development benefits greatly from the meaningful inclusion of those who will use such tools in their design and promotion.
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Is Facebook creating "iDisorders" ?
1. This article dated back in January 2013, focusing on the technological use of various means and media on symptomology of mood disorders and examines the impact of attitudes toward technology and multitasking in addition to tech related anxiety around the inability to check devices as frequently as desired. 2. "iDIsorders" was defined as "...the negative relationship between technology usage and psychological health", suggesting implications around heightened usage being negative. 3. In...
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TikTok
How TikTok ate the Internet by Drew Harwell https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/tiktok-popularity/ This Washington Post article is worth a read as it look at TikTok's rise in popularity. -site had more visits than Google last year -average American user spends 80 minutes /day on it - 2/3 American teens use it - the algorithm behind the app automatically curates a personal feed for each user based on how they interact with it - creators can earn money with their posts...
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Launch of the SPRinG App
Visit the Apple or Google Play app stores to download the SPRinG app or contact the study team for more information at springapp@unityhealth.to . Please feel free to share this information widely. Comments on this post will not be monitored. For any questions please contact springapp@unityhealth.to . Please note that email is not secure. Emails can be intercepted, viewed, changed or saved by others. Only send information to this address that you do not feel is sensitive.
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Dispelling Myths Around Youth Gambling
When it comes to gambling, there are many misconceptions — and perhaps the biggest one is that youth don’t (or can’t) gamble. That’s because we often associate gambling with playing poker or blackjack in a casino. But gambling takes many different forms. In fact, 68 per cent of Ontario youth said they participated in a gambling activity in the past 12 months, according to YMCA’s Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) Youth for Youth Digital Media Awareness Campaign in 2020. YGAP defines...
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Setting Healthy Boundaries
Youth Gambling Although they may not be of legal age to enter a casino, youth may be already engaging in gambling behavior to some degree, even from a young age — whether that’s making a bet with a rare Pokémon card or playing a claw machine game to win a prize. Gambling at any age has risks associated with it and the potential to cause harm. Some video games have elements of betting or gambling, even in skill-based games. Loot boxes are an example which typically offer players a chance to...
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IPTU Fall 2023- How to Break Your Social Media Addiction - YouTube
YouTube - Thomas Frank He acknowledges benefits of social media- but suggests some tips for harm reduction. He is not an addiction expert however I like his suggestions. See full details below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGe_cG3g6kw 1. Silence/Remove notifications- Dopamine rush when you receive these. Nothing wrong with looking at apps/posts, but when looking at something in response to a notification ,you establish a craving for it, a habit so when they come in future- you will have...
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Social Media during COVID
This study explored social media's role in feelings of fear during COVID. 86% reported fear or panic (many females) regarding health information (misinformation) that was posted on social media. Levels of fear response differed by age and gender with more females reporting higher levels of fear, which can have implications on mental health.