Digital Life Data in the Clinical Whitespace

Abstract

In our increasingly digital world, aspects of our lives are encoded in the routine interactions we have with technology. Over the past few years, psychologists and technologists have been exploring what possibilities these digital life data might hold for improving mental health and well-being. Here I examine some of the recent advances in this field, particularly in the use of language data; consider the ethical and pragmatic implications of this technology; and examine a few areas where I believe these advances could significantly alter the way in which mental health and well-being are approached. This technology holds special promise for providing information about a patient’s life in between clinical encounters, in the clinical whitespace.