We are experiencing a crisis of loneliness and disconnection in the United States and around the world, and young people are some of the hardest hit.
One of the causes of this crisis has been a decrease in in-person social interaction — both interactions with close friends and loved ones, and interactions with others in our communities, even strangers.
In-person social interactions are critical for our mental health, our physical health, and the health of our society as a whole. In fact, UCLA professor Jared Diamond cites decreases in in-person interaction among US lawmakers as a significant contributor to the polarization in Congress.
The great news is that by having more positive in-person interactions, we can boost our mental health, our physical health, and strengthen our communities and society. Even brief in-person interactions with strangers can have huge benefits to wellbeing, and according to Yale historian Timothy Snyder, are vital to protecting democracy.
And most importantly, in-person interactions are amazing. They’re the most fun. They’re invigorating. They make us feel alive. So we created 5 and Go! to help you have more in-person interactions every day with your friends and community.
A brief note on Privacy
We strongly believe in the right to privacy. We don’t sell your data. And we don’t use it to show you ads. There is more than a strong connection between the current mental health crisis among young people and certain companies that rely on ad-based revenue models. Our goal is to improve people’s lives and make them happier. We believe an ad-based revenue model would be at odds with that goal.