An app developer has created a wristband and app integration called Limit-Up designed to curb social media overuse. The device operates by emitting an intensely high-pitched, irritating buzz to the user's wristband every time they exceed their daily screen time limit. If they ignore the buzzing for more than five minutes, the app automatically publishes an embarrassing, pre-selected status update on their public social media feed (e.g., "I have no standard of self-control and just wasted another three hours scrolling on my phone today").
The founder of the company claims they are responding to an urgent mental health crisis, noting that many young users feel hopelessly dependent on their devices and suffer intense anxiety when detached from their feeds. They point out that current software-based lockouts are too easy for users to bypass. Critics, however, argue that resorting to public humiliation and high-stress sensory elements can lead to heightened anxiety, and point out that the consent of vulnerable teenagers to use such a device might not be truly voluntary. The firm argues that because users must actively opt-in to set up the system, any psychological distress is self-inflicted.
Question:
Briefly describe two psychological issues raised by this article.
276 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Debates, covering Nature/nurture, Freewill/determinism, Reductionism/holism, Individual/situational explanations, Usefulness of research, Ethical considerations, Conducting socially sensitive research, and Psychology as a science. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.