Despite the title may sound a bit “yeah, right”-like, this is actually some serious stuff.
Scientists from Victoria University in New Zealand have developed an application that is said to be able to “trigger” if it spots certain tendencies with users at social media sites such as Facebook or MySpace, suggesting that the users could be depressed, as social media sites are usually the place for teens to share their feelings rather than going to family and maybe even friends.
The application works by scanning for certain keywords and phrases which is usually associated with depressed behavior. The user profile will then be flagged, if the application catches many of those words.
Purpose of the application is to call attention to young people between the age of 18 and 24, that is so depressed they could be considering suicide.
“We analyse the database of phrases and rank them according to frequency of use – if certain key words are used a lot it is likely that the particular person may be emotionally depressed.”
– Dr. Tiong-Thye Goh, Victoria University
If you’re feeling depressed, it’s usually a good idea to share it with family or friends so you can get some help before it’s (hopefully not) too late. Often, most things can be solved, despite everything might look as if there’s no hope left.
Hoping that this application will flag you if you only share your feelings on Facebook and MySpace is probably a long shot (how can they access your Facebook data anyway, if the application is not a “friend” of yours?) – bottom line, don’t hide it if something is bothering you.
Usually when young adults are depressed they are not going to tell anyone. I believe this is a good app for parents, friends and family members should have to be more aware of the loved ones on their friends list.
.-= Gerlaine´s last blog ..Why I Threw Away My Library =-.
Gerlaine, thanks for stopping by and retweeting my post as well as sharing your views on this matter!
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Woopra – Live Visitor Statistics For Your Blog =-.
High calorie carbs see me through each bout of mild depression that I encounter in my everyday life. The only repercussion so far is the weight gain thereafter and the struggle to shed it. 😉
Parents and loved ones has that responsibility to help their teens from depression. But sometimes it is difficult to give help if you yourself do not know that your teen is indeed experiencing that problem and if they don’t open up to you. I think this application may help a lot to give teens the needed help when they find it hard to open up to their parents and turn to social media sites instead. Thanks for sharing!