WHATIF? an app could end social media addiction
Hello creatives, entrepreneurs, and curious friends and welcome back to Curiositea the Podcast by Concept Nest,
where ping-pong-style conversations between new and old friends inspire you to think differently about business and life.
In this season of Curiositea by Concept Nest. . .
We promised to mix things up. In addition to candid chats with founders, innovators, and academics, we are inviting you behind the scenes of our own creative process. Every few episodes, we share sacrificial whatif? concepts for inspiration and entertainment. Today, we merged our two favorite things: pitching bold ideas and learning from industry experts.
BACKGROUND
Back in 2022, I pitched Glen an idea called Mindful Mode—an app designed to derail digital addiction and prompt intentional engagement, not with timers or app blockers, but by using mindfulness to override dopamine-driven impulses. Rather than keeping the idea to ourselves, we decided to do something a little vulnerable: put it on the table for an expert critique.
If we were going to pressure-test the concept, we needed to hear from someone who understood the science and statistics behind digital addiction. We thought, who better to sit in on this pitch than a member of the law firm who just won the landmark case against Meta?
TODAY'S GUEST
Enter - Madeline Basha. Maddie is a lawyer at Social Media Victims Law Center, the firm helping lead the fight to hold social media companies accountable for the harm their platforms can cause to children and families. Over the last few years, she has worked with hundreds of victims from around the US whose lives have been profoundly affected by social media addiction, giving her a rare perspective on how something as commonplace as opening an Instagram account can become a serious risk for young people.
What followed was far more than a product critique. Over the next 45 minutes, we unpack the landmark trial, explore the realities of digital addiction, put Mindful Mode through its paces, and hear Maddie's candid feedback on where the idea succeeds and where it falls short.
LEARN MORE
+ What firm does our guest work for?
+ What trial was our guest a part of?
+ What apps exist today to help people curb their social media addiction(s)?
+ Can mindfulness really help dissolve addictions?
+ How can your phone addiction affect your child's development?