The Tribulations of Self-Diagnosis and the Growing Popularity of Mental Health Apps With the advent and mass adoption of Android and iOS, there has been a dramatic rise in the development and the popularity of apps that let users self-diagnose their ailments. Shockingly, they have become so popular and depended upon by people that they are even choosing to use them instead of arranging a costly visit to a doctor or GP. However, gathered results from recent studies indicate that they may in fact be doing more harm than good. Such examples range from people overreacting and over-treating their symptoms, to their misdiagnosing something simple or harmless as being more serious or even dangerous than it actually is. Conversely, the opposite can also occur in where a life-threatening or an incredibly perilous situation is deemed harmless and not acted on as it should be. Either way, like playing Russian Roulette, the consequences for users and their families could be both tragic and dire. Many of the studies and research inquiries on these apps take as fact that they haven’t yet reached their full potential, and that they only require further programming/development and sharper marketing strategies. While there are potential benefits to those who have a limited income, live in areas that are either isolated or where provided services are stretched thin, or are affected by all three in some way, the diagnoses and information..