A recent study conducted in partnership by Stanford University, and The University of California found that while smartphone voice assistants have become very popular, they are rather inadequate when it comes to offering help to people in crisis. During the study, several statements were said to the various smartphone platform voices, and very little useful information was repeated back by the voices. To better demonstrate, the article states, “In fact, very few of the services could help distressed users apart from in cases of suicide or physical injury- Siri directs users to the emergency services or nearby health centers if it detects they’re reporting health problems, but it can’t differentiate between ‘I’m having a heart attack’ and ‘my foot hurts’.” This is problem when considering the article’s mentioned statistic that 62% of Americans refer to their cellphones for information regarding health.

If these voice response systems have the capability to quickly search databases yet can’t return an answer to the consumer, imagine the time a family member could spend searching the databases themselves while still not getting any answers. Without experiencing the symptoms for themselves, a family member approaching the topic for the first time is probably going to find their research to be about as informative as Siri’s answer. The incapability of a smartphone voice’s response regarding topics such as mental illness, indicates not only a problem with the technology per say, but also an example of how the resources within the online community can be muddled. In a situation where the spectrum of symptoms is as wide as the multitude of diagnosis, getting on the right path towards help is not easy. Whether it be the individual facing the illness themselves, or family and friends seeking help, the abundance of resources can prove to both help and hinder the process.

If you or a family member needs help, please call the national mental health association: 1-800-969-6642.