21 How Students Can Use Breathing.ai to Strengthen Overall Wellbeing
Gabriela Saric
Image created with BlueWillow AI image generator.
Prompt: “High school students prioritizing well-being in the classroom by breathing and being reminded to take breaks from working on their laptops.”
Introduction
Breathing.ai is a chrome extension that encourages the well-being of individuals who spend a lot of their time using technology. It reminds users to focus on their physical and mental health, and uses AI to help them do so. The tool uses a small pixelated portion of the webcam to analyze real time stress levels in users, by noting changes in heart rate, breath, and colour in the forehead and under the eyes (Breathing.ai, n.d.). The tool offers a range of movement, mindfulness, and wellness breaks for users that are anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes long, and users can even set reminders for breaks. Another great feature is that the tool can tint users’ screens to colours that are easier on the eyes, such as a pale yellow. It offers calming background sounds for the user to choose, and the ability to adjust volume. Most relevant to users might be the analytics that the AI can conduct. Breathing.ai analyzes screen time to note how many breaks the user took, how long they have gone without a break, and how much time they have spent online.
Critical Media Literacy
In a constantly advancing technological society, Breathing.ai connects to educational contexts now more than ever. Students spend much of their time doing assignments on their laptops, working on online classes, or doing research for their own benefit. Regardless of the reason, technology is prevalent to students, and it’s important that they learn to be aware of their mental and physical wellbeing. This specific AI tool does not endanger digital and media awareness, as there is no potential for misinformation being fed to the student. The tool simply analyzes the time the student spends on their technology, and allows for improved stress levels and physical wellbeing, for example a lower eye strain. The rise of AI has made it even more imperative that students learn critical media literacy skills, in order to be able to navigate information that may be fed to them from machines. Nonetheless, this AI tool is able to support users, without putting them in compromising digital situations.
Affordances and Constraints
The first affordance of Breathing.ai is that, unlike many AI tools, this one is free and does not offer an upgraded version. The free version is the only version, making the tool accessible to potential users who can download the extension and begin using it immediately. It is quick and, since it is an extension, it works in the background. Users do not have to remember to turn anything on or off, though they can pause it at any given time.
A limitation may be that the tool is used as a Google Chrome extension. Users who are on Safari or another web browser would have to download Google Chrome, taking up more space on their devices to allow for the tool to work.
The Process
1. Download Google Chrome if you are not yet a user.
2. Search Breathing.ai, and follow prompts to register.
3. The chrome extension can now be found in the top right corner at any given time.
4. Users can go through Breath, Colours, Sounds, and Analytics tabs to play around with options and adjust preferences. Otherwise, they can use their device as usual so the AI can begin gathering data for analytics.
5. Users can also click Explore More Breaks on the Breaks tab to find a variety of options.
6. If users want to pause the extension, they can click Pause in the top right.
Effectiveness
In order to maximize effectiveness and allow the AI to create accurate analysis, users should be on Google Chrome as opposed to another web browser. If there are multiple browsers being utilized, for example if Google Chrome and Safari are being used simultaneously, information will not be as accurate and the AI will have less information to build off of. The more data available, the better the extension can work for users.
Recommendations
A recommendation for this tool would be to track analytics and progress. Be aware of the changes the AI makes and when those changes are occurring. This tool surely will create the most beneficial experience for users who use it alongside other wellness practices. In an educational context specifically, students can use this AI tool as a means to track and be aware of the effect that the time spent on technology has. They can engage in relaxing activities, such as meditation or walking, to take even bigger breaks from their screens.
Suggested reading that enforces the importance of screen tinting, one of the AI’s features, include:
- Computer vision syndrome (a.k.a. digital eye strain) by Mark Rosenfield https://dynamic-eye.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Computer-Vision-Syndrom-Studie.pdf.
- Digital Eye Strain and Its Risk Factors Among a University Student Population in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study by Yazan Gammoh https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/original_article/pdf/52884/20210329-19820-10j6q7q.pdf
Suggested reading that reveals the importance of taking screen breaks for overall wellbeing:
- Screen Time: Impacts on Physical Health, Sleep, and Psychological Health and Well-being by Shereen A. Eldeeb https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/187/
Informative presentation
References
Breathing.ai. (n.d.). How It Works. https://breathing.ai/How-It-Works
Acknowledgement of AI Use
In this assignment, I used AI to create an appropriate image to give readers an idea of the AI tool I explained. I used AI when using Breathing.ai in order to create a step-by-step guide for new users.