The recent popularity of ChatGPT has brought into question the future of many lines of work, among them, psychotherapy. This thesis aims to determine whether or not AI chatbots should be used by undergraduates with depression as a form of mental healthcare. Because of barriers to care such as understaffed campus counseling centers, stigma, and issues of accessibility, AI chatbots could perhaps bridge the gap between this demographic and receiving help. This research includes findings from studies, meta-analyses, reports, and Reddit posts from threads documenting people’s experiences using ChatGPT as a therapist. Based on these findings, only mental health AI chatbots specifically can be considered appropriate for psychotherapeutic purposes. Certain chatbots that are designed purposefully to discuss mental health with users can provide support to undergraduates with mild to moderate symptoms of depression. AI chatbots that promise companionship should never be used as a form of mental healthcare. ChatGPT should generally be avoided as a form of mental healthcare, except to perhaps ask for referrals to resources. Non mental health-focused chatbots should be trained to respond with referrals to mental health resources and emergency services when they detect inputs related to mental health, and suicidality especially. In the future, AI chatbots could be used to notify mental health professionals of reported symptom changes in their patients, as well as pattern detectors to help individuals with depression understand fluctuations in their symptoms. AI more broadly could also be used to enhance therapist training.

The purpose of this thesis was to understand the importance of supply chain visibility (SCV) and to provide an analysis of the technology available for achieving SCV. Historical events where companies lacked efficient SCV were assessed to understand how errors in the supply chain can have detrimental effects on a company and their reputation. Environmental, social, and governance standards within the supply chain were defined along with the importance of meeting the legal and consumer expectations of a supply chain. There are many different organizations dedicated to helping companies meet ESG standards to achieve ethical, sustainable supply chains. Examples such as the Responsible Business Association and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development were considered. A government solution to SCV, called the Freight Logistics Optimization Works Initiative, considered the importance of data sharing for large companies with complex supply chains, and this solution was assessed for understanding. Current companies and technologies available to achieve SCV were examined for understanding as to how the issue of SCV is currently addressed in the industry. A case study on the company Moses Lake Industries looked at how their complicated chemical manufacturing supply chain has adapted to achieve SCV. This included understanding supplier location, manufacturing processes, and risks. Future technologies that are currently being developed which could further benefit the supply chain industry were considered. Other future considerations, such as the movement of manufacturing out of high risk areas and the need for centralization of SCV solution, were also discussed.

Due to the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, communities were forced to isolate themselves in their homes and take many safety precautions. Through this isolation, people experienced a lack of social interactions on a daily basis and increased boredom. Due to the new feelings of the pandemic experience, many found themselves to be engaging significantly more with technology and social media. Doing so helped many to interact with others or spend their extra time. Since people were engaging so much more with technology, there were distinct positive and negative outcomes. Some social media use helped cope with experiencing feelings of isolation by the COVID-19 pandemic, while it may have caused feelings of anxiety for others. Engaging with others helped humanize the experience of relying on social media as a replacement for receiving human interaction on a daily basis (Zhen, 2021). College students were specifically impacted by isolation in a social manner, but were also affected in other areas such as in their academic life. Social media became a critical tool for college students in coping with the challenges of the pandemic (Zhao, 2020). This paper will explore some of the ways in which social media has helped college students cope during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it may have had more negative effects on others. This will be explored through reviewing current literature and research. Research findings will be compared to interviews conducted for the purpose of this project. Three different college students were interviewed and asked a series of questions regarding their personal experience with COVID-19, mental health, and social media. The interview responses will be reviewed according to current research to spot any similarities in findings.