User:Megatronic007/sandbox

The Boyfriend Log (app)
The Boyfriend Log is a free mobile app that allows users to track the emotional status of their relationship(s) through color-coded emotion symbols and journal entries. The app can be PIN protected and backed up with Dropbox.

Founding
The idea for the app came from Linda Sivertsen after she started a diary about her relationship on her computer. The app was developed by Tim Benwell, Peter Guylas, Shane McCallum, and Nick Zinger in 2014.

Operation
Users set up a calendar for each relationship they would like to track. To record an entry, users select a specific date on the calendar, where they are prompted to select one of five colors, or emotions:
 * Green = “Amazing. Blisssful. Romantic.”
 * Orange = “Happy. Warm. Fun.”
 * Yellow = “Okay. Flat. Fine.”
 * Blue = “Sad. Heavy. Teary.”
 * Red = “Awful. Angry. Scary.”

Users can select a secondary emotion to add to their entry, if applicable. In the bottom righthand corner of the emotion selection screen, there is a button for journal entry. After selecting this button, users can enter a subject line and take notes. According to the app’s website, the journal feature “allows you to vent, record, and reflect on the highs, lows, and in-betweens between you and your love.”

The app allows tracking of more than one relationship through multiple calendars. Each relationship gets its own calendar, and these can be added in settings. The calendar logs are not only for romantic relationships; users can track the emotional states of familial relationships and friendships as well.

Privacy
The app provides the option of a PIN to protect users’ logs. Letters or numbers can be used. If users implement a PIN, they must provide an email in case the PIN is forgotten.

Relevance
Domestic abuse is a large problem here in the United States, as "1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the United States have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime." The type of journaling The Boyfriend Log provides is useful because it allows one to reflect upon emotions and notice patterns. Taking steps to track the status of one's relationship may be especially helpful for those who are in a relationship with an abusive person. Many victims end up in a vicious cycle of self-doubt, which can lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and hesitancy in seeking help. "Women think, 'I can help fix him through my own behavior, by reinforcing good behavior — I can fix this.'" The app and the app's website acknowledge this issue: "If you’re in an abusive relationship, we urge you to seek professional help and not try to tackle your situation alone." This note precedes a link to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Some studies show that reflective journaling is beneficial for mental health, specifically for those who struggle with anxiety disorders. A 2018 study claims that it "is a feasible and well-accepted intervention that can be implemented... effectively reducing some aspects of mental distress and improving aspects of well-being among medical patients with mild to moderate anxiety symptoms." Anxiety disorders affect 18.1% of adults in the United States.

As 77% of Americans have smartphones as of 2018, The Boyfriend Log is accessible to a large portion of the United States population.