Avoid relying solely on AI for mental health support
JOHOR BARU: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to seek mental health support, especially among children and teenagers, must be approached cautiously, say groups here.
Johor Baru Befrienders board of trustee member Danny Loo (pic) said that while AI may offer an outlet to express mental health struggles, it is important to note that the responses generated are based on information retrieved online, including sources that are inaccurate.
'It may offer a space for those who are lonely to seek emotional support or simply to vent, but this should be approached with caution.
'We must remember that AI responses are based on data gathered from the Internet, which is often very general and could even be wrong.
'This may risk individuals seeking mental health support, including children and teenagers, getting the wrong advice that could potentially worsen their situation.'
Loo, who is also a member of Hospital Sultanah Aminah's psychiatric board of visitors, said proper assessment is key for anyone seeking mental health help.
'It is important for them to go through it with a professional who could come up with personalised treatments and support.
'A generalised response is far from enough, as each individual is different and responds to different approaches.'
Loo also noted that despite the seemingly increased reliance on AI, especially among youngsters, Johor Baru Befrienders are seeing more awareness among the group.
'We have been conducting awareness campaigns with schools in the last five years, which I believe has helped encourage youngsters to reach out to us.
'We see this through the number of calls we receive from the group, which has been gradually increasing every year,' he said, adding that Johor Baru Befrienders receive an average of 300 calls a month.
Parents, Community and Private Sector Involvement (PIBKS) national chairman Datuk Yahya Jaafar said that there is a need for the government to carry out studies on the matter.
'Like it or not, children and teenagers will be using AI. In fact, it is encouraged for them to do so for their studies,' Yahya said.
'Some may also use AI to seek mental health support, but at the moment, we do not really know whether this brings more harm or good.'
While PIBKS had yet to receive complaints from parents on the matter, he said they will keep a close eye on it.
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Here's the AI diagnosis: How the tech is being leveraged in M'sia's public healthcare system
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AI and early detection Malaysia began incorporating AI screening as early as 2020, when private healthcare centres launched initiatives to use AI for detection of retinal diseases. The adoption of AI is now broadening to public healthcare with the Health Ministry driving initiatives to use AI to detect diseases. Last year, the Health Ministry announced the roll-out of Dr Mata, an AI-driven software solution to detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease caused by diabetes, in a pilot project involving around 140 government clinics. According to Health Ministry deputy director-general for research and technical support Datuk Dr Nor Fariza Ngah in a report, the technology can help to produce eye test results at a faster rate and would lead to better outcomes for patients. 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'As the Health Ministry remains the largest healthcare service provider, adoption of AI-enabling screening in government clinics has the potential to create a significant impact in terms of meaningful stage shift to detect more cases at an early-stage when the cancer is more amenable to curative-intent treatments like surgery,' he adds. While AI can be scaled and deployed in rural areas to assist clinic staff without a radiologist or doctor on-site, Prof Anand points out that strong communication networks are essential for it to work effectively. — Image by freepik Prof Yeong Chai Hong from the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, says AI-driven diagnostics screening at government clinics reflects the country's agenda of moving towards preventive data-driven healthcare. 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The Star
a day ago
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Avoid relying solely on AI for mental health support
JOHOR BARU: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to seek mental health support, especially among children and teenagers, must be approached cautiously, say groups here. Johor Baru Befrienders board of trustee member Danny Loo (pic) said that while AI may offer an outlet to express mental health struggles, it is important to note that the responses generated are based on information retrieved online, including sources that are inaccurate. 'It may offer a space for those who are lonely to seek emotional support or simply to vent, but this should be approached with caution. 'We must remember that AI responses are based on data gathered from the Internet, which is often very general and could even be wrong. 'This may risk individuals seeking mental health support, including children and teenagers, getting the wrong advice that could potentially worsen their situation.' Loo, who is also a member of Hospital Sultanah Aminah's psychiatric board of visitors, said proper assessment is key for anyone seeking mental health help. 'It is important for them to go through it with a professional who could come up with personalised treatments and support. 'A generalised response is far from enough, as each individual is different and responds to different approaches.' Loo also noted that despite the seemingly increased reliance on AI, especially among youngsters, Johor Baru Befrienders are seeing more awareness among the group. 'We have been conducting awareness campaigns with schools in the last five years, which I believe has helped encourage youngsters to reach out to us. 'We see this through the number of calls we receive from the group, which has been gradually increasing every year,' he said, adding that Johor Baru Befrienders receive an average of 300 calls a month. Parents, Community and Private Sector Involvement (PIBKS) national chairman Datuk Yahya Jaafar said that there is a need for the government to carry out studies on the matter. 'Like it or not, children and teenagers will be using AI. In fact, it is encouraged for them to do so for their studies,' Yahya said. 'Some may also use AI to seek mental health support, but at the moment, we do not really know whether this brings more harm or good.' While PIBKS had yet to receive complaints from parents on the matter, he said they will keep a close eye on it.
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Borneo Post
When going viral becomes fatal
She may be too young to read comments, but not too young to be watched by thousands. Is this consent, or coercion in cute disguise? IN chasing for more clicks, shares, likes, gifts and monetary returns of their social media posts, a young woman lost her life. Pan Xiaoting, a 24-year-old Chinese social media influencer made famous by her 'Mukbang' livestreams, died after a 10-hour livestreaming in the pursuit of eating up 1kg of food in front of her fans and audiences. It was not an accidental death or suffering from illness, it was by her own voluntary act of performing for her audience. I dread to say that the audiences are craving for excess. Are we one of them? If there is no audience, there is no performer, and it is cruel to say that. Autopsy performed on her revealed that her stomach had ripped open, severely deformed and filled with undigested food. Yes, it is shocking; it is tragic. 'Mukbang' is a social media trend where individuals broadcast themselves eating large quantities of food, often interacting with their audiences. It originated in South Korea – the word 'mukbang' is Korean for 'eating' and 'broadcast'. Yes, it is entertaining, but the negative effects may influence viewers to overeat and develop unhealthy eating habits. It is the result of social media trends where attention is money, and going to extremes is rewarded. Only days after reading this news, my social media feeds were bombarded with viral videos of mothers feeding their very young children an excessive amount of food. Probably, the quantity is more than what an adult can eat in one day. Chubby cheeks, bright eyes, sweet smiles, baby talks are all that could attract viewers. Who can resist such harmless innocence in this hectic world? But as a mother who has raised two children, I cannot help but feel uneasy. How can a child so small be possibly expected to consume that much food in one sitting? I am worried that these parents are crossing the line by sharing innocent family moments to performing for strangers on the Internet. The children enjoying a meal becomes moments of weaponising food just for clicks, likes and shares. Social media has opened the door for ordinary people to become celebrities. And with that, it has also unleashed a powerful, but also dangerous, drive to entertain. Social media, which began as a space for creativity and for people to share their talents and connection with friends, has sadly turned into a stage where such uncomfortable excessive acts cost lives. The various social media algorithms don't care about your well-being. It doesn't know whether a child is genuinely hungry, or being pushed to eat more than they should. It doesn't distinguish between authentic joy and dangerous pressure. It only amplifies what gets the most reactions. The tragedy of Pan Xiaoting is not an isolated case. It is a part of a larger problem that arose from monetisation of extremes for the sake of audiences. And now, it is alarming that this mindset applies even to children. We justify this by calling them 'family moment creators' or 'parenting influencers'. But let's face the reality. Children are not participating; they are forced to perform by the parents. They are too young to say no. They are too trusting to consent, and they become the victims of the adults' pursuit for fame and fortune. You may argue: 'What's wrong with a cute baby eating on camera?' Yes, I read some of the comments of the viewers. Once someone raises the question 'how could the baby be eating such amount of food', there will be voices reprimanding the commenter that 'the baby is eating healthy food'. As viewers, we are sending messages to support such videos by rewarding the acts with likes, monetary rewards and sponsorship deals. Social media may be new, but the need for limits is not. We have laws and reforms to protect the young in the real world. But nobody stops the act of asking a child to eat 10 bowls of noodles in front of a live audience. Is it acceptable when it is happening on a screen? It is time for social media platforms to take greater responsibility. Algorithms need to be recalibrated to favour health, honesty, and humanity – not harmful spectacle. But even more importantly, we, as the audience, need to pause and reflect. Every click is a vote. Every share is an endorsement. We must ask ourselves: are we engaging with content because it is meaningful; or because it is outrageous? Are we supporting creators who build communities; or those who risk their lives and exploit their families for a fleeting moment of 'virality'? Let Pan Xiaoting's story be a wake-up call. She died not because she was poor or hungry, but because she was performing for an audience that demanded more and more and gave nothing back when the curtain fell. Let us not applaud until it is too late. Let us, instead, choose to follow, support and share content that uplifts and educates, not endangers – especially when children are involved. We do not need another tragedy to realise that likes are not worth lives. fatal live-stream Mukbang social media viral
