Prototype for Controlled Use of Social Media to Reduce Depression

Abstract

This study examines social media addiction and prototypes a software application. This application can be integrated with any social media platform to alarm users when they are near the addiction stage. The work is ongoing, and this paper elaborates on the preliminary findings. We surveyed participants in the age range of 18–40 years to investigate the impact of social media on their lives. The participants are university students being monitored, and professionals from fields including information technology, medicine, education, and engineering. The prototype will not only help minimize social media addiction but also provide some productive activities as a replacement that will be entertaining simultaneously. The social media usage will be monitored, and users will be notified as per the customized settings of the application.