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Problem Solving - Nudge

Social Anxiety

Excessive social media use can exacerbate social anxiety. Passive social media consumption, characterized by scrolling without interaction, is associated with increased social anxiety among college students. Passive engagement often leads to unfavorable social comparisons, intensifying feelings of inadequacy and anxiety (Przybylski et al., 2021).

Cognitive Overload (“Brain Rot”)

“Brain rot” describes a state of mental fatigue and reduced attention span due to excessive screen time and low-quality content consumption. Research indicates that high exposure to fragmented digital content impairs cognitive function, affecting memory retention and decision-making abilities (Newport, 2023).

Low Self-Esteem

Social media presents idealized portrayals of life, leading to negative self-comparisons. Studies show that high social media usage correlates with increased loneliness and decreased self-esteem, particularly among adolescents (Twenge et al., 2022).

Nudge: A Proactive Solution

Nudge is a social media app where each short video must be associated with a “nudge.” A nudge is a short message that can be sent via the app, including “What, When, and Who?” for an activity of any kind. This structure enables us to not only predict the next content unit but also the next activity for the user based on preferences obtained from the short video feed.

We aim to go even further by predicting not only the activity but also the people with whom the activity might be conducted, by analyzing interconnections and preference-profiles of users.

The user therefore gets actually engaged by the network. By predicitng activities based on the user’s prefernces, the user should be triggered to conduct real life experiences. By limiting the content to unedited videos and requiring a nudge linked to the content we ensure real life connected and unstaged content, potentially reducing low self-esteem of Gen-Zs

In future versions we even want to predict users, with which the activity might be conducted with. Based on the user’s prefences we are able to predict users, which likely match. This could revolutionize the way we meet people and could improve Gen-Z’s common social isolation and anxiety.

Scientific Foundation

  • Active Engagement Mitigates Social Anxiety: Active social media use, involving direct interactions and content creation, reduces social anxiety by improving communication skills and social connectedness (Vannucci et al., 2020).
  • Structured Offline Activities Enhance Cognitive Function: Engaging in structured, real-world activities helps alleviate cognitive overload, promoting mental clarity and focus (Newport, 2023).
  • Positive Social Interactions Boost Self-Esteem: Meaningful offline interactions contribute to improved self-esteem and overall well-being (Twenge et al., 2022).

References (APA 7)

  • Newport, C. (2023). Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Penguin.
  • Przybylski, A. K., Orben, A., & Blakemore, S. J. (2021). The role of social media in adolescent mental health: Evidence from longitudinal studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 7728.
  • Twenge, J. M., Haidt, J., Lozano, J. P., & Cummins, K. M. (2022). Social media use and mental health outcomes in adolescents: A meta-analysis. Psychological Science, 33(4), 567-583.
  • Vannucci, A., Flannery, K. M., & Ohannessian, C. M. (2020). Social media use and anxiety in emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(1), 67-75.