A new tool developed by Aussie researchers called ‘We Feel’ looks at around 32,000 tweets a minute for 600 words that are linked to various emotions, such as shock and love.
The data will then be compared to tweets sent from nearby locations, and will be used to map the mental health services that are needed in that particular area.
Lead researcher at Australia’s Black Dog Institute, Helen Christensen, said the new scheme would be helpful in making sure vulnerable people were taken care of.
“The power of this information cannot be underestimated,” she said, as quoted on the NDTV website. “Currently, mental health researchers and associated public health programmes use population data that can be over five years old.”
At the moment, the programme can only analyse English tweets, and is hindered by many users not displaying their gender and location.
Click here to see the project in action.
Image credit: Getty
