In a nutshell
NOMO is a behavioral science–based app that helps teenagers and young adults reduce excessive social media use through gamified, peer-driven challenges, rewarding healthier digital habits with real-world experiences.
DIF II
U.S.
37.7749° N, 122.4194° W
(3) Good Health and Well-Being
Brazil and England
KPI's
To be measured
Reduction in social media scrolling time
Value of rewards provided by brand partners ($)
Lives
impacted
Schools
reached
Increase in life satisfaction
Decline in stress and anxiety
Positive Notes
Excessive social media use is increasingly linked to declining mental health, reduced productivity, and weakened real-world connection among teenagers and young adults. Built by leading behavioral scientists, NOMO tackles this challenge through gamified, peer-driven interventions grounded in behavioral economics—rewarding reduced screen time with real-world benefits and shifting engagement from compulsive scrolling to intentional living.
In late 2024, NOMO launched a controlled pilot with 808 students at the University of Chicago, reducing Instagram and TikTok usage by nearly 50%. The results were striking: depressive symptoms declined by 47%, reports of distraction fell from 47.9% to 36.8%, life satisfaction increased from 61.1% to 70.6%, and academic performance improved meaningfully. Building on this evidence, NOMO expanded into 52 public schools in the UK, initiated pilots in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and secured millions of dollars in rewards commitments through partnerships with global brands including the NFL, NBA, Duolingo, Calm, and the Premier League.
The next challenge lies in translating strong pilot outcomes into scalable, repeatable adoption across public systems, schools, universities, and global markets. As NOMO refines its onboarding experience and explores AI-driven “Agentic NOMO” features to nudge users toward real-world engagement, it aims to deepen impact while expanding reach.