(The ReachOut.com Technology for Wellbeing conference in Dublin this week. ReachOut.com is an online help service for teens.)

Technology.

Not all bad

Naoise Kavanagh writes:

Over the last two days ReachOut.com held a Technology for Well-Being conference in Dublin. It was a mix of panel discussions, plenary talks and workshop style sessions with most (not all) of the attendees working in the area of mental health in Ireland.

It was great to see that a number of these organisations use technology to reach both the general public and those in need, with a diverse offering of mental health services.

There was a lot of enthusiasm in the room for different approaches to mental health information and services. This was all with full acknowledgement that there are many people who will never access traditional services, no matter what their need is.

You only need to check out #T4WB13 tweets to see how it was going down with the audience (it was trending above Arthur’s Day for while, which was a nice bonus).

In a time where we continuously see images of people with their head in their hands alongside stories of depression and anxiety, it was so encouraging to feel the positive energy about the reach and use of technology in the area of mental health.

Negative press about cyberbullying, trolling and our lack of privacy online was counterbalanced by strong evidence of successful online spaces allowing users to access support and information anonymously and safely.
The internet provides a sense of community to people who otherwise can feel isolated, and benefit from the sharing of personal stories.

Here’s to ensuring the appetite for collaboration produces some more effective technology projects, that will go a long way to helping improve the well-being of people in Ireland.
See you all at #T4WB14?

ReachOut.com

Pic: Maria O’Donoghue