Is Mental Health Tech the next frontier in Innovation?
How's this anxious generation creating opportunities for Tech, 3-2-1, This Week's Praise for Jordon, List of interesting reads and more!
Gourav’s Odyssey #2
This is an edition type of The Curious Soul’s Corner newsletter where I share my free flowing thoughts and curations.
👋 Hey there, I am Gourav. I write about Engineering, Productivity, Thought Leadership, and the Mysteries of the mind!
The Anxious Generation
Wow, 90% of the surveyed public think there is a mental health crisis in the United States, with half of young adults and one-third of all adults reporting that they have felt anxious either always or often in the past year.
Tech companies are finding it as an opportunity and starting to monetize it.
The use of mental health apps continues to skyrocket.
What happened? What’s changing?
In 2020, interest rates were low and concerns about mental health were high.
Funding for digital mental health poured in.
In startup culture, funding based on potential rather than a proven track record is common and ongoing.
However, according to Stephen Schueller, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Irvine - “Evidence suggests that people benefit most from digital therapeutics when the apps are used in conjunction with some form of human support.”
So, the question really is: How could Tech alone solve this?
My opinion
Caring for mental health will soon be as routine as checking emails or counting steps, with mental health features becoming integral to everyday tech.
But emotional health is trickier than physical health because recognizing the need for change is harder. While being overweight is a visible signal to adjust habits, many miss the signs of emotional distress.
Without a breakthrough to rewire the mind-gut connection, I believe, solving this remains tough, though apps can help bridge the gap by providing knowledge and access to human support.
What do you think about this new wave? Reply to this email or comment on the substack app.
3-2-1
3 ‘Pics’ of life outside work
Traveling boosts your mental health and slows aging—says a recent study 😄. That’s exactly what I tell my wife whenever she rolls her eyes at my ambitious road trip plans!
As a road-trip enthusiast, I recently embarked on a 5-day adventure drive (and back) from Seattle to Yellowstone with my family. Spoiler alert: the excuse worked, and we had a blast!
We got lucky as we were traveling on the night of maximum aurora activity. Captured this 50 miles shy of Spokane, WA
We did a short hike to this view of ‘The Grand Prismatic’.
Finally, this is an awesome video I captured with my wife’s latest iPhone upon reaching the ‘Artist Point’ at The Grand Canyon of the YellowStone.
2 ‘Quotes’ I read recently and liked
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
and
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” — Zig Ziglar
1 ‘Book’ I am reading
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness: The book argues that overprotection in the real world, combined with underprotection in the virtual world, has disrupted children's development, reducing their ability to handle risks, setbacks, and social challenges—ultimately fueling today's mental health crisis among young people.
This Week’s Praise
Jordan is a Senior Software Engineer at Pinterest and the creator of High Growth Engineer, a newsletter with over 75,000 subscribers. His content offers practical, real-world advice that helps software engineers fast-track their careers to senior level.
I’ve learned from Jordan how to turn complex ideas into actionable insights—he’s a master at making content both useful and engaging. His newsletter isn’t just text; it’s an experience readers can visualize. Packed with career growth tips, it’s no surprise he’s built a loyal audience on Substack and LinkedIn.
More praises in next editions.
Mental Health Resources to Read & Watch
Must Read Articles
How to do 6 Weeks Worth of Work in 2? by
Don’t Start Coding Yet: Here’s What Great Engineers Do First by
Taking over the Tech Lead role in your current team by
How Small Teams Can Achieve Outsized Results inside Big Tech by
🤝 Let’s Connect
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Gourav Khanijoe
I think the hard part is about finding a good measurement for mental health. It's easy to count number of steps, it's hard to count your mood is going down and down.
Thanks for the mention
Wow, a few things.
1. So jealous of your aurora picture and sight you got a chance to see. I still haven't seen it in my lifetime 😭
2. Very cool you are reading The Anxious Generation. It's a big topic at Pinterest as well we've had discussions about
3. Thank you sooo much for the honest and specific praise. It means a lot. I'm excited for your upcoming guest post soon!