DailyBean
LQ: 9.6
Recommended Age: 4+
Skills Used: Self-Awareness, Self-Control, Reading, Writing
Finch is a virtual pet-keeping app designed to help the user practice their self-awareness and self-care skills. The player controls a small bird who will perform certain actions based on the input of the user. The bird will go on adventures, discover favorite foods, and ask the user for advice on different topics. Interacting with the bird will earn gems which can be used to purchase new clothing or accessories for them to wear and hold.
The primary way to interact with your pet is through self-care practice. The user can engage in short breathing exercises, respond to prompts in a bullet journal format, and even set up healthy habits. Mood trackers also help the user keep track of their feelings in a quick and easy way by simply pressing the face that corresponds closest to their current emotional state.
Finch also features quizzes the user can take centered around depression, anxiety, body positivity, and other self-care related topics. The quizzes are scored automatically and the player can then respond to how they felt about taking the quiz.
The app also features other tools to help with focusing such as soundscapes, timers, and movement activities.
Finch is free to try but certain features require a subscription. At the time of this writing, there is a free trial available. Please note that because this app deals with mental health issues like depression and anxiety, parents should test the app first to see if it is developmentally appropriate for their individual child. It is available on iOS and Android.
Self-Awareness: Understanding our own actions, thoughts and feelings.
Finch is designed to help the user reflect on their daily experiences through bulleted journaling and responses to prompts. This kind of daily self-reflection can, over time, help the user to see patterns of feelings and behaviors and come to a deeper understanding about their own actions, thoughts and feelings. Taking the apps quizzes can also help the user get a better understanding of their current emotional state. For example, taking the body positivity quiz can help the user see that the way they think about their own body has a direct effect on how they feel about themselves in general.
Self-Control: Managing our actions, feelings and behaviors.
Once the user knows more about their own feelings and their patterns, they can begin to practice self-control and manage these feelings when they are becoming too out of control. The First Aid portion of the app features ways for the user to practice this skill, ranging from panic breathing to a Rant Zone where the user can write about the things that are bothering them in that moment. Mindfulness activities in the app such as breathing exercises and soundscapes can also help deflect strong emotional responses and help the user feel calmer and more able to sort out their feelings and actions.
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