I just came across a really interesting article in the New York Times. It describes how crisis hotlines have started to adopt texting abilities. It turns out that, especially with teenagers, texting can be a very effective way to get help. In some situations it may even be more effective than a phone call. The non-profit group Crisis Text Line has been developing this technology for two years now. Much of the development has been around how to counsel others effectively through text. One of their main goals is to help people connect with local resources. They have also been able to gather quite a bit of data around patterns of distress in the population (for instance, children with eating disorders seek help most often between Sunday and Tuesday).

I am certainly a proponent of face-to-face counseling, however, as our society shifts and evolves with technology, it is great to see efforts like this one to use technology for the greater good. If you would like to learn more or contribute to Crisis Text Line’s efforts, follow the link to them.