“It’s not the technology that’s scary. It’s what it does to the relations between people, like callers and operators, that’s scary.”Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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The power of perception: Using digital communication to facilitate behaviour change
Excerpt from my first blog post for Rock Health!
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“…..Here’s a study that might offer some insight into how text messages can influence health across cultures. Last year researchers piloted a mobile program in Kenya to test whether communication between providers and HIV patients would improve adherence to drug regimens and suppress viral loads. Every Monday morning the group received a text message from a health worker that simply asked, “How are you?” Patients were instructed to respond that they were doing well or that they had a problem (at which point a nurse would contact them.) Although most reported that they were doing just fine and never interacted with a health worker directly, these patients showed improved adherence to drug regimens and were healthier compared to the control group, which didn’t receive the texts. (read morehere)
And the most interesting part? When subjects were asked what they thought about the program, many said that they just felt like “someone cares.” If feeling cared for improves health behavior and can be conveyed through mobile communication, then a global mHealth program might just do the trick.”
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“According to my research, diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but I don’t know—my best friend is my book bag.” - Dorothy Ann, The Magic School Bus
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I was invited to present at Social Media Week Glasgow by my friend James Jefferson, the Creative Director at Equator. We discussed the psychology of social media along with Craig Hepburn, the Director of Digital & Social Media at Nokia, and Catriona Campbell, who, aside from founding a UX consulting firm, also invented online banking. Enjoy !
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The Internet is the problem (and the solution)
I have a theory. In psychology there is a concept called anchoring: An ideal or value that enables people to focus their attention in a consistent manner. We construct our own conception of reality where these walls anchor our existence in some sort of order and meaning. The Internet makes it increasingly difficult to ground ourselves in a subjective reality. Online, you are continually presented with everything you are not doing and aware of the people you will never be. A lack of anchoring has been known to result in feelings of isolation or inadequacy.
Even though the Internet is the problem, it is also the solution.
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