Android app developed to warn users of negative messages
Computer scientists at the University of Portsmouth’s School of Computing are claiming to have developed the first mobile app which colour codes messages to help the user decide whether they will make them feel good or bad.
Created by Master’s student Lorraine Chambers and her supervisor, senior lecturer Mohamed Gaber, the Android app aims to help users avoid messages on Twitter, Facebook or a text that could be hostile or angry and help prepare them for receiving bad news.
The app will automatically colour code incoming messages depending on how positive or negative they are, with green representing positive, red representing negative and blue highlighting a neutral message.
The app will be presented at the 16th International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Systems, in Spain in September.
Dr Gaber said: “The ultimate objective of this application is to make the user aware of the negative contents they receive so they are able to manage their stress in the best possible way. For example, if most of what is received from social media websites by a user on a particular day was negative, it is important that the user attempts to take an action in order to not get stressed, especially if this may affect the individual’s performance at work and/or their behaviour at home.”
The developers have said that should they find a demand for the app, they may extend the format across iOS platforms.