Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

roadmaptogrow.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 74 posts

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#21

Post by deltoids »

ksenzee wrote: post #16

This is essentially a medical device for administering behavioral therapy to treat social anxiety, and I don't see any indication that it was developed with any kind of input or review from experts in the field. I honestly feel that borders on irresponsible. A review from a psychologist specializing in social anxiety would be a good idea.

TLDR; creator should get a psychologist behind this project to avoid negative views.

Disclaimer: I do not mean to belittle the author of the comment above in any way. I'm sharing my views on why I find it absurd to call a mental health tool like this irresponsible without a greenlight from a psychologist.

I don't understand how people find these things so irresponsible. It's the same with using an LLM for therapy. Many therapists are furious with that, regardless of how effective it has been for many people.

In the same way, the author of the comment above seem to find it irresponsible for the creator of this app to share this tool without having it greenlighted by a psychologist (the establishment). This is despite the fact that the creator has had amazing outcomes with his newfound method of dealing with social anxiety and is now sharing it with the world. In my view, his experience speaks for itself and it is up to users whether they want to trust his words and try it out.

There's a clear tendency to demonize anything that contradicts or hasn't been greenlighted by the establishment.

If you follow this logic to the extreme, we cannot as human beings share recommendations to others based on our own experiences when it comes to mental health.

As absurd as that it, it's probably best for the creator of this app to get a psychologist behind it to avoid this negative discourse.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#22

Post by autoexec »

sjamaan wrote: post #20
autoexec wrote: post #18

Apps that tempt people into placing their mental health issues, and the state of those issues, into networked devices designed to collect and leak their private data like a sieve is just irresponsible. I'm sure advertisers and data brokers would love to have this kind of information, but it's probably better for people who already have struggles with mental health if companies aren't exploiting those struggles for pr…

I don't understand why you're being downvoted. This is absolutely an issue of today's mobile devices.

I suspect that at least a few people here earn a living by working on apps designed to collect detailed information about the mental health issues of users and they'd rather not be reminded of the fact that all of that data is being/will be used against those same users at every opportunity for the rest of their lives.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#23

Post by deltoids »

autoexec wrote: post #18

Apps that tempt people into placing their mental health issues, and the state of those issues, into networked devices designed to collect and leak their private data like a sieve is just irresponsible. I'm sure advertisers and data brokers would love to have this kind of information, but it's probably better for people who already have struggles with mental health if companies aren't exploiting those struggles for pr…

Do you believe that this app has been designed to leak users private data and exploit its users?

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#24

Post by autoexec »

deltoids wrote: post #23
autoexec wrote: post #18

Apps that tempt people into placing their mental health issues, and the state of those issues, into networked devices designed to collect and leak their private data like a sieve is just irresponsible. I'm sure advertisers and data brokers would love to have this kind of information, but it's probably better for people who already have struggles with mental health if companies aren't exploiting those struggles for pr…

Do you believe that this app has been designed to leak users private data and exploit its users?

I didn't even see a privacy policy (not that those are in any way binding), but even it isn't doing that today who knows what will happen to the data they're collecting/have collected in the future, and like I said, smart phones aren't secure or private and they are designed to exploit users.

If you need help with your mental health, please talk to a medical professional where you have at least some measure of protection under the law instead of handing real-time records of your struggles and vulnerabilities over to under-regulated companies looking to prey on you by using that very same information.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#25

Post by deltoids »

autoexec wrote: post #24
deltoids wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you believe that this app has been designed to leak users private data and exploit its users?

I didn't even see a privacy policy (not that those are in any way binding), but even it isn't doing that today who knows what will happen to the data they're collecting/have collected in the future, and like I said, smart phones aren't secure or private and they are designed to exploit users. If you need help with your mental health, please talk to a medical professional where you have at least some measure of protec…

It's a shame that it is this way. These apps can provide immense value, but due to under-regulation we cannot consume these apps with comfort.

New user-protection laws in areas like mental health are strongly needed.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#26

Post by yreg »

autoexec wrote: post #24
deltoids wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you believe that this app has been designed to leak users private data and exploit its users?

I didn't even see a privacy policy (not that those are in any way binding), but even it isn't doing that today who knows what will happen to the data they're collecting/have collected in the future, and like I said, smart phones aren't secure or private and they are designed to exploit users. If you need help with your mental health, please talk to a medical professional where you have at least some measure of protec…

Hm, they do collect user and usage data and they say they might share it with others.

https://www.roadmaptogrow.com/privacy.html

It's unfortunate. We’ve made a similar app (to combat sugar addiction), but we made a conscious decision to avoid collecting any information we don't have to.

Our privacy policy is just that we get the data App Store shares with us and that when a user sends us an email we are going to keep that email.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#27

Post by raybb »

darajava wrote: post #4

Nice app! I have an app in roughly the same vein (both introspection apps) which I’m also releasing. Would love to know your thoughts! https://audiodiary.ai What framework did you use for this?

This is really fantastic! Ofcourse the techy in me wishes for a one time payment to selfhost the data but know it's the openai bits that are expensive :)

I would love a way for this to be fed into my Obsidian daily journal. You're actually inspiring me to see if something similar is available for obsidian.

One small feedback, if I'm on the add an entry page and I swipe back it closes the app.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#28

Post by raybb »

raybb wrote: post #27
darajava wrote: post #4

Nice app! I have an app in roughly the same vein (both introspection apps) which I’m also releasing. Would love to know your thoughts! https://audiodiary.ai What framework did you use for this?

This is really fantastic! Ofcourse the techy in me wishes for a one time payment to selfhost the data but know it's the openai bits that are expensive :) I would love a way for this to be fed into my Obsidian daily journal. You're actually inspiring me to see if something similar is available for obsidian. One small feedback, if I'm on the add an entry page and I swipe back it closes the app.

Also please don't hide the iOS button from me when I'm on Android :) I had to double check from desktop if iOS was available before sending to a friend.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#29

Post by Cthulhu_ »

ksenzee wrote: post #16

This is essentially a medical device for administering behavioral therapy to treat social anxiety, and I don't see any indication that it was developed with any kind of input or review from experts in the field. I honestly feel that borders on irresponsible. A review from a psychologist specializing in social anxiety would be a good idea.

I don't see the issue personally. You don't need to be a psychologist to set people small achieveable goals and gamify them.

That said, people that reach for this app should probably see a psychologist / psychotherapist first and foremost; while self-diagnosis is valid to a point and apps (or self-help books for that matter) may help and provide comfort, there may be more to one's mental health issues that an app won't fix.

Re: Show HN: Roadmap – A Personal Growth Game for Social Anxiety

#30

Post by Cthulhu_ »

jmprspret wrote: post #12
1270018080 wrote: post #11

Is it all work related goals?

Well... That's all that matters, right? Serving your employer? Adding value?

And having side projects, because doing your job outside of your job is really important for your employer.
Post reply on HN