Proposal

What is the problem?

Since the development of technology, physical inactivity in adolescents and young adults has severely increased due to social media addiction and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has intensified the severity of this addiction. A survey by Common Sense Media shows that American children aged 8 to 12 spend an average of 5 hours on screens per day (Regis College, 2023) and another study shows that 80% of adolescents, globally, are insufficiently active (van Slujis et al., 2021). Also, according to the VP of Analytics and VP of Engineering at Meta, time spent on Meta apps has significantly increased, by as much as 70% in Italy, since the pandemic started. Children’s online activity doubled at the beginning of the pandemic, based on Qustodio, a parental control application that tracks children’s online habits (Regis College, 2023). Excessive screen time may lead to unhealthy eating habits and worsen sleep quality. By maintaining unhealthy physical habits, mental health could be affected as well, leading to cases of depression and social anxiety. Children who spend two hours or more a week doing physical activities are less likely to have mental health issues (Regis College, 2023). 

Where is the problem located?

The problem is affecting children globally. However, Hopscotch will focus on Montreal before expanding to other cities and countries. 

Who is affected by the problem?

The problem affects children and young adults who have grown up alongside the internet and social media. Around 71% of young people worldwide are using the internet, where the highest rate of internet users is 97% of Europeans between 15 and 24 years old (Benvenuti, 2023). According to Twenge, teens are the most affected since they are “heavy users of social media”, with screen time surpassing 5 hours daily, which makes them more prone to depression (Twenge, n.d.). Social media users’ mental health are more affected than other types of internet users, like watching television, gaming and texting.

How serious is the problem?

The problem of social media addiction is getting progressively worse, affecting around 24.4% of adolescents. People are becoming less active. Some negative effects of extended screen time are obesity, poor health, and vision problems. Being indoors for too long can lead to nearsightedness, which has had a drastic impact on children over the past 30 years (Regis College, 2023). Being online can also cause sleeping issues, since the screen light can affect melanin production. What’s more a group of researchers, from the University at Buffalo, who researched the effects of social media on young adults, between the ages of 18 and 24, concluded that a correlation between the increased use of social media and somatic symptoms existed which led to frequent visits to the doctor (Gambini, 2022). The problem is urgent and demands a call for action as soon as possible. 

Our idea to solve the problem

People are already on their phones all the time, why not redirect their attention to an app that promotes a healthy lifestyle? By creating a gamified application where users can win points for discounts at sports-retailers by participating in physical activities that are offered by local facilities, Hopscotch intends to use technology to invite internet users to go outside and create safe, friendly communities while promoting their well-being. Hopscotch is an app that gamifies physical activity, rewarding members, like Aeroplan, for being active. Our business idea has already been validated by a field research showing that children and young adults would be very interested in including this app in their daily routine to incite them to be more active.

In contribution to the United Nation’s sustainable goals

Hopscotch is an application that encourages young teens to go out and exercise more by taking the addictive aspects of social media apps and flipping them around to encourage people to become more active. Healthier habits will not only improve their physical health, but also their mental health. By improving the well-being of young people, their relationship with older generations will also improve with increased communication and attention, as well as other interpersonal physical relationships instead of on social media. This aligns with the United Nations’ Goal 3  “ensure healthy life and promote well-being for all” (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations).

References

An overview of weight and height measurements on Word Obesity Day. (2014). Statistics Canada. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/5742-overview-weight-and-height-measurements-world-obesity-day

Benvenuti, M., Wright, M., Naslund, J. et al. (2023). How technology use is changing adolescents’ behaviors and their social, physical, and cognitive development. Curr Psychol, 42, 16466–16469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04254-4 

Differences in obesity rates between rural communities and urban cities in Canada. (2020). Government of Canada. https://health-infobase.canada.ca/datalab/canadian-risk-factor-atlas-obesity-blog.html?=undefined&wbdisable=true.

Effects of Technology on Children During a Pandemic. (2023). Regis College. https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/effects-of-technology-on-children/

Gambini, Bert. (2022). Social media use tied to poor physical health.” University at Buffalo. https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2022/01/social-media-physical-health.html 

Health report card for Québec. (2023). Institut de la statistique du Québec. https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/communique/comment-se-porte-sante-population-quebecoise-en.

Obesity and overweight. (2024). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight 

The effects of social media on teens and young adults. San Diego State University. https://psychology.sdsu.edu/social-media-and-kids-mental-health-jean-twenge/

Twenge, Jean M. (2017). Have smartphones destroyed a generation?. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

Van Sluijs, E. M. F., Ekelund, U., Crochemore-Silva, I., Guthold, R., Ha, A., Lubans, D., Oyeyemi, A. L., Ding, D., & Katzmarzyk, P. T. (2021). Physical activity behaviours in adolescence: current evidence and opportunities for intervention. Lancet (London, England), 398(10298), 429–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01259-9