Social Media Addiction Preventers (April 2025 work session)
Parth Thombre (Computer Science), Atharva Date (Software Engineering), Aakash Goyal (Computer Science), Sujal Prajapati (Computer Science) , Nisha Verma (Software Engineering)
What's the problem?
In a technology-booming world, social media is both a tool as well as a trap. The transition to campus life is already filled with academic, emotional, and social hurdles for incoming college students. Add the constant buzz of notifications on phones and the pressure to stay online, and the ability to focus or sleep well becomes harder. We believe this is not only a lifestyle concern but also a mental wellness issue. Therefore, we are proposing strategies to help new students manage their digital habits. We are not against the use of technology. Our goal is to foster healthier digital behaviors, starting with day one on campus.
Incoming college students often struggle to adapt to academic and social demands due to excessive social media use, which disrupts focus, mental well-being, and real-life connections. Without support systems or reward programs, these habits persist unchecked, making it difficult for students to build healthy routines in their critical stages of student life.
But First...
We began by mapping the root causes of stress and distractions among students who use social media. During empathy mapping, we realized students often don't even realize that they are caught in the loop of excessive scrolling on social media. Ideation led us to several solutions where a rewards system stood out, which offers engagement, fun, and meaningful impact with benefits. Prioritization confirmed its feasibility to develop the solution and its impact on society.
Who is impacted?
Freshmen college students
Defining a better solution to the problem
Our idea is a reward-based website or mobile app designed to help freshmen self-regulate their social media use. Through daily usage tracking and reward system in place with this website, students are encouraged to build healthier screen habits. This solution empowers those quietly struggling with tech overuse, offering support without any type of judgment or isolation.
The Prototype
