Problem
Understanding the true cost of modern social media. It's time we talk about what's really happening to our minds, our relationships, and our lives.
The Numbers Don't Lie
The impact of social media on our wellbeing is measurable and alarming.
Average daily social media time
Users who feel worse after scrolling
Teens reporting negative mental health effects
Increase in anxiety among heavy users
Mental Health Impacts
The psychological toll of constant connectivity is becoming impossible to ignore.
Anxiety & Depression
Studies show a strong correlation between heavy social media use and increased rates of anxiety and depression, especially among young adults.
FOMO
Fear of Missing Out creates constant anxiety about what others are doing, leading to compulsive checking and emotional distress.
Comparison Culture
Curated highlight reels create unrealistic expectations, damaging self-esteem and fostering feelings of inadequacy.
Body Image Issues
Filtered photos and edited content distort reality, contributing to body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
Addiction by Design
Social media platforms aren't just accidentally addictive. They're engineered to be.
Algorithms by Design
Platforms use sophisticated algorithms optimized for maximum engagement, not user wellbeing. Every scroll, like, and share is tracked to keep you hooked.
Dopamine Loops
Variable reward mechanisms trigger dopamine releases, creating addictive patterns similar to slot machines. Your brain is being hacked.
Notification Manipulation
Strategic notifications are designed to pull you back in. Every buzz, ding, and red badge is engineered to create urgency.
Infinite Scroll
Bottomless feeds remove natural stopping cues. Without an endpoint, your brain never receives a signal that it's time to stop.
Relationship Quality
Our connections are suffering in ways we're only beginning to understand.
Superficial Connections
Hundreds of 'friends' but few real relationships. Social media prioritizes quantity over quality, leaving us more connected yet lonelier than ever.
Reduced Face-to-Face
Screen time replaces in-person interaction. We're losing the skills and desire for real human connection.
Digital Loneliness
Paradoxically, increased connectivity leads to increased isolation. Virtual presence cannot replace physical togetherness.
Going Deeper
Understanding the root causes helps us find better solutions.
In the attention economy, platforms compete fiercely for your time. Every second you spend scrolling generates ad revenue. This creates a fundamental misalignment: platforms profit when you stay longer, even if that time damages your wellbeing. Your attention has become the most valuable commodity, and tech companies will do whatever it takes to capture it.
Algorithms show you content that keeps you engaged, not content that informs or enriches. This creates echo chambers where you only see perspectives similar to your own, leading to polarization and a distorted view of reality. The content that triggers the strongest emotional reactions gets amplified, regardless of its truth or value.
Social media presents a highlight reel of everyone's life. You compare your behind-the-scenes to their greatest hits. Studies show that even knowing content is curated doesn't protect us from its effects. Our brains aren't wired to process thousands of social comparisons daily.
When every moment is photographed, filtered, and shared, we stop being present in our own lives. Research shows that taking photos for social media actually reduces our memory of events and our enjoyment of them. We're so busy documenting life that we forget to live it.
There's a Better Way
We don't have to accept this as the status quo.
The Old Way
The HAVN Way
Ready for a Better Way?
We're building something different. A platform that puts people first, designed for meaningful connection, not endless scrolling.