Check out our design files on @figmadesign #startups #ux #design

Great article on the use of social media and its correlation with loneliness.

"Opioids are just one of the ways Americans are trying to cope with an inhuman new world where everything is flat, where communication is virtual, and where those core elements of human happiness — faith, family, community — seem to elude so many."

“Common passions help people bond at a personal level, and they bridge people of different ages and life experiences." We think friendships are one of the most important things in life, and the best way to to foster them is through shared experiences.

"One way of thinking about loneliness is it … is constantly activating this defensive stance in our body that's getting us ready to be injured." Interesting research about why loneliness is so dangerous to our health.

"What if social platforms were designed to help us create our ideal social lives, instead of to maximize time-on site and 'likes'?" Thoughtful piece about the role of digital creatives to responsibly serve the user. We take this very seriously.

"One researcher called the loneliness epidemic a greater health threat than obesity." It's time we as a society started valuing our friendships more, as they are critical to a healthy, happy life. Here is some great advice.

"We are divorced from ourselves and from the world – those relationships are now routed through our phones." Interesting article about the negative effects of smartphone usage. We believe the answer is simply to spend more time offline.

"In an eye-opening talk, she details how the same algorithms companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon use to get you to click on ads are also used to organize your access to political and social information." Very powerful TED talk.

2017 was the year in which we as a society started coming to terms with the harmful effects of social media. In our opinion, the solution isn't to unplug or delete social media accounts but rather better habits, alternatives, and tools.

"Loneliness and weak social connections are associated with a reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity." This is a problem that can be solved.

"Study after study shows that good social relationships are the strongest, most consistent predictor there is of a happy life, even going so far as to call them a 'necessary condition for happiness,'"

"Those who used screens less, spending time playing sport, doing homework, or socializing with friends in person, were less likely to report mental troubles." These seems obvious to us.

"Feeling socially isolated is more damaging to your health than being physically inactive or obese." Great collection research on loneliness from @we3app (we are huge fans!). Some of this is quite shocking but the data is incontrovertible.

"Social isolation kills, and in the process it makes it harder to reach out to others. A psychologist explains how to break the cycle." Interesting article. The author explains that loneliness doesn't necessarily imply social isolation.

Couldn't agree more. "If we want places for men to 'be men', then we need to make it easier and safer to be men. And that means letting go of those supposed 'dude rules' that tell us what we are or aren’t allowed to feel or express."

Very important talk by Mark Zuckerberg about the new mission he is setting for Facebook. He explains how he came to realize how important communities are, and how he is committed to supporting them through his platform. We are cautiously optimistic.

We are very happy with the early success of @patook (we are huge fans), we need more apps like this!

Loneliness is extremely detrimental to our health. And unfortunately it can cause a viscous circle that many find hard to break. We aim to offer a way out of that circle.

We believe that we are currently in technological adolescence. We are still harming ourselves and our society by using these powerful new communication devices in negative ways. We hope to create a new type of social network that is truly social. Join us!