Mirror, mirror on the wall... who's the fairest of them all? A new technology developed by Accenture Technology Labs called the "persuasive mirror" is not going to give you the answer you're looking for if you don't live a healthy lifestyle (i.e., you smoke, overeat, over-indulge in the sun).
According to ABC News, the persuasive mirror can show what your bad habits will do to your face over time. A user answers questions about lifestyle, uploads a digital photo and hopes for the best as the mirror digitally ages the person six months down the road. Unfortunately, I'm a sucker for a good tan so I'm probably not the best example for this either. But, for all you smokers out there, this should definitely be another incentive to quit. The thought behind the mirror is that even though we all "know" that bad habits are really bad, we won't really take it seriously until we see concrete evidence.
A similar technology, Aprilage Development's AgeMe.com, allows you to look further into the future.
The author of the ABC News article tested how she would look at the age of 72 if she started over eating and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and, to say the least, the result was not a pretty picture.
What do you think of the power of persuasion? Is a picture "worth a thousand warnings"? I challenge you to try either technology and share your thoughts!
Thanks Alli - this sounds like it could be really well "enlightening" I'm not sure I want to see what I will look like! But as an ex-smoker I can tell you I feel like I stopped just in time to save my looks (ahh to be so humble).
As anyone yet tried these applications to see what they look like? If so post her so we can see too!
And if your looks are convincing enough, maybe reading about the basics of smoking cessation as well as understanding addiction might help you make the decision to live a health smoke free life.
All the best, sue (moderator)