Monitoring Social Media Habits with DoomScroller by Amplify
In the digital age, the compulsive habit of 'doom scrolling' - perusing online content without purpose or intention - has been found to lead to goal conflict, guilt, and increased boredom. A new innovation seeks to address this issue.
The collaborative effort of Amplify's innovation practice FUTURES and Kai Lab's Creative Technologist, Sean Malikides, has resulted in the creation of the DoomScroller Robot. Supported by NABS, the advertising industry's wellbeing charity, this initiative aims to encourage more mindful online behavior.
In an interview with Editor-at-large Natasha Randhawa, Sean Malikides and Amplify Innovation Creative Director, Ed Hallam, elaborated on the project's origins and objectives. Hallam explained the project's inception as an extension of Amplify's Head of Special Projects, Izzy Kertland's vision to bring creative tech experts together to explore emerging technologies. The team's shared concern over doom scrolling resonated within Amplify, driving the creation of the DoomScroller.
The DoomScroller robot is designed to provide users with a receipt highlighting the mental health impact of their social media usage. Malikides, the project's creative technologist, details how the device tracks finger movement on the phone to measure swiping speed and engagement with content. The aim is not to scold social media users, but to foster self-awareness and promote intentional engagement.
With potential for adaptation and scaling, the DoomScroller could influence consumer behavior in the future, much like fitness trackers have reshaped health habits. Further exploration into technology applications is underway, with ideas such as an interactive device that translates carbon data into an audio experience or a climate-change simulation device in development.
Malikides emphasized the challenge of creating a tangible representation of abstract digital actions, as phones are protective of user data. Nevertheless, he is hopeful that the user experience will spark conversation around excessive online time use, potentially fostering constructive discussion on addiction to technology.
As the industry strives to shape intentional and profitable digital spaces, collaborations between technologists, agencies, brands, and charitable organizations play a crucial role. Hallam encourages brands to approach technology with purpose, embracing experimentation, and being open to creative ideas that may initially fail but lead to innovation.
Featured Image: Amplify x FUTURES
- The DoomScroller Robot, an innovation by Amplify's FUTURES and Kai Lab's Creative Technologist, Sean Malikides, aims to combat doom scrolling by providing users with a mental health impact receipt based on their social media usage.
- Supported by NABS, the advertising industry's wellbeing charity, this collaboration seeks to promote mindful online behavior and self-awareness, rather than scolding social media users.
- Adopting user's finger movements on the phone to measure swiping speed and engagement with content, the DoomScroller is designed to alert users about their online habits in the realm of health-and-wellness and lifestyle.
- The future potential of the DoomScroller, reminiscent of fitness trackers' influence on health habits, suggests it could impact consumer behavior and foster intentional engagement online.
- As technology continues to play a significant role in various industries, collaborations between technologists, agencies, brands, and charitable organizations, such as the partnership between Amplify, FUTURES, and Kai Lab, encourage intentional, purposeful, and innovative digital spaces.
