Boosting or busting: How can innovative technologies disrupt maladaptive social media use?

In recent years, I’ve noticed that many of my friends are spending more and more time on social media. At first, I thought it was just me—but I soon realized that many people feel stuck there, either chasing aspirations or simply trying to kill time with something funny to unwind from daily stress.

Social media no longer feels like a space to connect with people we know and love; instead, it often becomes a place to give or gain attention from strangers. While that may be acceptable to some extent, I see myself—and many of my friends—struggling with the negative effects of social media on our mental health, our relationships with family and friends, our performance and even our overall life satisfaction.

This realization led me to explore how we can engage with social media in a more balanced way—one that preserves the benefits of connection while minimizing the harms of addictive behaviour.