Unchecked Surveillance Capitalism Combined with Medical Profession's Observational Approach Equals a Worrysome Scenario
In a thought-provoking article, Adam Omelianchuk, Ph*D, explores the potential benefits and concerns surrounding the increasing use of data-mining technologies in mental health care.
The term "digital phenotype" is used to describe the activity data collected from smartphones, smartwatches, and other devices. This data, when analysed through algorithms and machine learning, could provide valuable insights into an individual's mood, stress levels, anxiety symptoms, cognitive impairment, and sleep quality.
One proposed future intervention involves leveraging the "Internet of Things" to detect these factors, with the ultimate goal of providing personalised health insights. However, Omelianchuk raises concerns about the accountability, protection of user data, transparency, and informed consent associated with these data-mining technologies.
Companies like Apple, Google, Withings, and Samsung are likely to profit from this data, using it to analyse user behaviour and tailor their services accordingly. While Apple and Google currently have better data security and transparency practices, Withings integrates AI-driven health monitoring features, and Samsung uses advanced sensors combined with algorithms to deliver personalised health insights.
The author argues that these data-mining technologies could further the cause of medicalization, potentially leading to an acute alienation from a true sense of well-being. The concern is that these technologies may treat human experience as raw material to be measured for the sake of extracting information.
Moreover, Omelianchuk suggests that these technologies may incentivize the design of messages that make healthy people feel unhealthy, motivating them to seek out the marketed product. He also proposes that the only way off this "island" (referring to the economic order) is to pay developers not to sell our data.
Despite these concerns, Omelianchuk acknowledges the benefits of A.I. chatbots for therapeutic conversation and the potential for these technologies to enable passive, continuous, quantitative, and ecological measurement-based care. He does not express a desire to pay for these healthcare technologies, citing the logic of surveillance capitalism.
The author's argument draws parallels between the growing discontent with this economic order and the story of Odysseus and Calypso, stating that it treats experience as raw material to be measured, not necessarily for the benefit of the individual.
In conclusion, the future of mental health treatment options is shrouded in both promise and peril. As we navigate this digital landscape, it is crucial to strike a balance between harnessing the power of these technologies for our benefit, while ensuring our privacy, autonomy, and well-being are protected.
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