Blue Fever and AI
Before the pandemic investors and advisors warned us to stay away from the term “mental health” because the empathetic chatbot “Blue” we built was not designed with a clinical pov. We knew Blue was helping young people feel better (testimonials poured in daily), but we struggled to succinctly explain the value prop of Blue Fever without coming back to the increasing mental health needs we saw in our Gen Z community.
Fast forward one pandemic and a couple years and now mental health is in vogue and seen as one of the biggest crises of our time, especially for young people:
~80% of Gen Z are lonely (the biggest gateway to depression/anxiety)
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people
These stats get worse among female identifying, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ youth
Today “mental health” (MH) is something Gen Z talks about a lot. They are well aware that their MH needs are not being met by the current behavioral health system because the system was not built for them. What worked for adults has failed them, so they’re turning to, and creating, unconventional solutions that are raising red flags among adults.
We get the concern and skepticism. But remember, this generation grew up in a wildly different reality than you did (smart phones, social media, watching your bestie become an influencer overnight). Their problems are different, if not foreign to us, so their solutions might be too.
At Blue Fever we’ve long been committed to understanding the mental health (not illness) support young people need. We touched on this with our first sms chatbot product HeyBlue and expanded the support offering with our app because we kept seeing the unfillable gaps in the mental/behavioral health ecosystem get bigger. And consequently young people suffer more. The behavioral health system:
Is biased toward treating mental illness (42% of Gen Z have been diagnosed) and has little infrastructure to offer help to the 90% of Gen Z who say they need more support for their MH.
Relies heavily on human practitioners when there simply aren’t enough, and will never be enough, human clinicians to meet the demand.
Lacks consistent support for asynchronous needs in between visits with human practitioners- esp in digital solutions where young people spend a significant amount of their time.
Has been slower to incorporate digital solutions into their approach to treatment.
Is unaffordable for the populations who need the most help and support
This lack of human capacity and lack of trust (due to an un-relatable user experience) came into focus in the last 2 years and prompted us to critically examine how technology could be a solution for both. Compounded with the hype around generative AI, the timing was right.
We knew we had all the ingredients to create more scalable, asynchronous support for low acuity needs. So we went back to our roots of the digital companion “Blue” who helped teens through millions of life moments via empathetic acknowledgement and personalized recommendations. We paired previous data and deep insights with the content creation machine and feedback loop of our app community. We then talked to users to understand how young people today specifically feel about AI- had it changed since pre-pandemic Blue?
Does Gen Z see AI playing a role in supporting their mental health? Is this affected by their concerns around privacy and trustworthy information?
The Results: Surprising Insights and Exciting Discoveries
The survey, sent out in June 2023, asked users (13-24) about situations in which they believe interacting with a highly trained, supportive AI would be beneficial. The response? A resounding endorsement of AI as a digital companion for various mental health scenarios! Additional notable stats include:
Emotional Support: A whopping 85% of respondents expressed their desire to interact with AI for emotional support. Whether it's dealing with stress, anxiety, or loneliness, these GenZers believe AI can be their virtual confidante.
Guidance: 72% of high schoolers see AI as a helpful guide in navigating life's challenges. From academic advice to career choices, they trust AI to provide reliable guidance.
Confidentiality: 68% of teens value the confidentiality AI can offer. They see AI as a non-judgmental confidante, allowing them to express themselves without fear of criticism.
Emergency Assistance: In unexpected and urgent situations, 64% of respondents would turn to AI for immediate help. AI's quick response and availability make it a reliable source of support during crises.
The Role of Humans and Tech in Mental Health Solutions
One of the most intriguing findings from the survey is GenZ's willingness to embrace AI while recognizing the value of human connection. It is not either or for young people: it’s a balance of *both* technology and human empathy that young people need.
The survey results underscore what we’ve known for years. The youth relationship to technology is vastly different from that of their most immediate predecessors. This openness to embrace AI as a digital companion for mental health is encouraging, but also conscientious and not a blind-trust.
Heeding this insight, Blue Fever is harnessing the power of AI to bridge the gaps in mental healthcare, while preserving the importance of human connection and acknowledgment. This is an incredible opportunity to recast how we approach AI development in the youth digital health space; and, an even bigger responsibility to do so in an ethical and in a trustworthy way.
