This is something.  Jay Parkinson on Future Well has suggested that health apps are overrated.  Then on Twitter came a remark that the post represented ‘fightin’ words.’  While I think the tweet was in jest, I’m sure there are some who will take offense to the less-than-flattering remarks about our coveted health apps.

We love the concept of health apps for what they represent more than for what they really offer us.  We want to feel that we’ve got it all in the palm of our hand.  After all, technology might do for us what we won’t do for ourselves.

Like Jay, I’m underwhelmed but I don’t think that’ll always be the case.  The post’s criticism should start a conversation about what’s real in mobile health and what isn’t.  Even the fantasy of Health 2.0 has been questioned and that’s a good thing.  This dialog about reality versus rainbows and unicorns needs to continue.

Youngme Moon in Different wrote “the way to keep criticism from devolving into cynicism is to make it a starting point rather than a punctuation mark.”

Jay Parkinson’s post is a starting point.