Are you addicted to your screens?
By: Sylvester Lewis
Tags: Networking, London, Social Media Addiction, Phone Addiction, Meetup

Suppa is a new social network focussed on helping users make in-person connections rather than digital ones. We help users expand their social and professional circles by facilitating in-person networking at the best bars and restaurants in London.

The digital economy offers big benefits, but it also comes with serious drawbacks. Overuse of our digital devices can make us feel more isolated, lead to chronic time-wasting and stop us from fulfilling our potential.

It often feels like social media and the digital economy have taken over our lives. Whilst there’s no doubt the digital world has improved our lives in some ways, it comes with various disadvantages too. Many people say we are losing the art of in-person communication and missing out on opportunities to meet new people in person.

Over recent years, we have started spending much more time on our devices with usage skyrocketing during the pandemic. Various studies have found that this can be detrimental to our mental and physical well-being. If you are interested in expanding your social and professional network in person this summer help is available. With already thousands of sign-ups pre-launch, Suppa is an increasingly popular app designed to help people start making fantastic new connections in person.

Are smartphones damaging our mental health?

Before we talk more about Suppa and how it can help you expand your social network, let’s take a look at some worrying statistics about smartphone use. A study carried out by Forward Partners, a professional coaching firm, found that 30% of 18–24 year olds had a screen time of 6 hours or more, with several respondents logging screen times in excess of 8 hours. Spending just 5 hours a day on your smartphone can result in you wasting 15 years of your life “doomscrolling”.

The world’s most popular social media and video streaming platforms have been designed to hold your attention for as long as possible — the longer you stare, the more money they make; great for the tech giants, terrible for you the consumer.

Could smartphone use be reshaping our brains?

A study in the journal Addiction Behaviours saw researchers from Germany’s Heidelberg University use magnetic resonance imaging to assess the brains of people suffering from smartphone addiction. It said individuals with the addiction had “lower GMV in the left anterior insula, inferior temporal and parahippocampal cortex”. There was a reduction of ability in the insula, said to be responsible for self-awareness. The authors of the study said their findings questioned the “harmlessness of smartphones, at least in individuals that may be at increased risk for developing smartphone-related addictive behaviours”.

A 2015 Social Science Computer Review found a link between high levels of smartphone usage and loneliness in students. A Korean Society of Nursing Science study from 2017 also detected a connection between high levels of smartphone use and loneliness, depression and attachment anxiety.

How Suppa can free you from your device

Suppa was created to help people expand their social and professional networks by spending more time away from their devices. The app allows users to invite matches for lunch, coffee and drinks at the best bars and restaurants in London. When you use the app, you can tell others what your attentions are; these can include discussing business opportunities, mentoring opportunities, connecting with a new sports partner or simply hanging out and enjoying some fantastic food and interesting conversation. Once an invitation has been accepted, the app creates a match so the meet-up can be arranged. The app is designed for group meetings as well as one-to-one meetups, so it’s perfect for after-work networking with colleagues/ friends.

Suppa was built to help users break free from digital excess and start developing long-term, meaningful connections. Although it’s perfectly possible to make a large number of connections over social media, these often tend to be highly superficial, failing to give us the fulfilment real-life connections provide us with.

Connect with like-minded individuals

Even though cities like London are most likely packed with people who share your interests, values and passions, it can be hard to seek these people out. Our app will make potential matches much more visible to you, helping you lay down the foundations for various memorable meetups with like-minded individuals. Whether you have only been experiencing feelings of isolation since the first lockdown or were struggling to expand your network long before the pandemic struck, Suppa can help you start connecting with the right people.

Support the hospitality industry

Our app is designed to help you support the struggling hospitality industry. For most people, eating and drinking at home simply isn’t the same as heading to a warmly-welcoming café, bar or restaurant. By spending time at a local hospitality venue getting to know someone new, you can help to support an establishment that may not survive without custom from people like you.

Once you start making the most of Suppa, you can break the monotony that may have been reducing your quality of life considerably since early 2020. With Suppa, you can spend less time “doomscrolling” and focussing on others’ lives and more time making the most of your free hours. Escape your four walls and start meeting interesting new people who share your passion and outlook on life.

Register for the Suppa app here and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest developments.