Of those Apple event 2023 Many announcements are expected, among which the launch of the new operating system cannot be forgotten: iOS 17. With it comes many additions, of which there is one that has attracted a lot of attention: the monitoring the mood of users.
Apple has made great strides in the field of health monitoring. However, so far it has mainly focused on Physical Health, not so much mentally. In that regard, it is true that this and other companies have previously studied the possibility of analyzing mood through sensors. That would give, perhaps, a more objective idea. However, in psychology, subjectivity also plays an important role.
So, with iOS 17, Apple tracks the mood of its users, who must enter data on how they do every day. They can distinguish between a general mood, Unknown cause, or something more specific, where it is explained what caused that feeling. Thus, over time, the user himself will have a lot of useful information for his self-knowledge, which he probably would not have obtained if he had not dedicated a small daily opportunity to answer the questions himself. iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.
Apple steps to know your mood
The first thing iOS 17 users should do is rate their status on a scale from less pleasant to very pleasant.
Then, the second step will consist of choosing between list of adjectives more concrete. For example, when we feel grateful, angry or hopeless. With that, only the third step remains, where factors are explored. Are we feeling good or bad because of economic, work, family reasons…?
With all this information, the device will create summaries that will help the user have a quick mental assessment of their latest situation. This, logically, cannot replace a psychologist. But maybe it will be useful to a specialist, if necessary.
Knowledge is part of our mind, thanks to iOS 17
A very common tool in cognitive behavioral therapy is he marking thoughts and feelings. Patients should name what they are feeling and what they are feeling, as this will help them process and work through it.
That, precisely, is what Apple wants with this new feature that comes with iOS 17. Users should spend some time labeling their feelings, and also the thoughts that cause them. Therefore, the resulting reports are very similar to those that can be obtained in consultation with a psychologist.
It is proved that this self-knowledge be good for mental health, because we frame and classify what happens to us, preventing it from becoming large and replacing us.
It is a great tool to know when we need help and to get to know ourselves better. We’ll have to see how it works when it arrives. Maybe in Apple event Let’s find out a little more. Also, as explained in The Conversation a group of scientists from Monash and Melbourne Universities, we need to see the processing performed on that data. Apple ensures the confidential, but these researchers fear there are gaps. Either way, it’s something we don’t know yet. With the information so far, it seems like this is a useful and innovative feature. As time goes by we will know better.
