I have written extensively about the continued mental health concerns of our youth community. They are dealing with extensive anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies. As schools and mental health providers will affirm, the need is overwhelming and we are feeling the consequences of it every day.
What we also know about teenagers is that 85 per cent of them play video games. These immersive experiences are exciting, challenging, motivating and sometimes addicting. It is a $57 billion industry that has become extremely popular. Some of the games are competitive and some are violent and everything in between. What we do know is that they attract our youth by the millions and have created their own interactive community.
The gaming industry continues to grow using dynamic and immersive technology to create new ways for teenagers to be engaged. The goal is for them to become a lifetime consumer of the technology and attract players that will spend a significant amount of time and money to have these experiences.
It is clear that the gaming industry has a great deal of influence in the lives of our teenagers. Yet there is very little software or apps that are focused on their mental health. This feels like a productive and powerful opportunity to have a meaningful impact right alongside of the video games that are so popular.
Since Lakeside provides mental health care for over 8,000 students per year, we believe we could be a significant resource to create innovative ways to utilize immersive technology to help teenagers take some of their gaming energy to find new options for mental health support and healing. Unlike regular teaching, virtual reality and AI have unique capabilities to bring experiences that are life-like with all kinds of training modalities that may be more effective for learning and discovery.
Another helpful feature within the VR world is that teens can be anonymous and have their own avatar that can inquire, participate and practice new ways to regulate and bring calm to their life of stress responses and anxiety. In this virtual world this kind of app can be very accessible, confidential and strategic to help our teenagers find the resources they need in our culture of technology advancements.
Lakeside is currently working on a new model for virtual reality for support for our teens and adults who are experiencing mental health struggles. It is hopeful that we will have an announcement very soon about our progress in building our own therapeutic AI for students and their families. It is time that we take advantage of the current world of virtual reality in order to engage, create new experiences and provide support and help for our youth community.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
