I built a mental wellness website called Buddin (getbuddin.org). It's aimed at teens dealing with loneliness and the pull of social media, and it's built around a handful of features that work together rather than one single gimmick.
The centerpiece is a personal chatbot, designed not as a replacement for real relationships but as a bridge back to them — it's meant to counter loneliness by encouraging real-world interaction with friends, not by becoming a substitute for it. Alongside that is an activity generator, for the moments when you know there's more to do than doom-scroll but can't think of what. There's also a set of comparison-style activities — choosing between things like luxury products — that work as a light, almost game-like way to understand what kind of person you are and what you actually value. For when you need to physically calm down rather than just distract yourself, there's a breathing section with a guided animation and calming background music, usable as a short meditation or a quick reset. And tying it all together is a growth tracker, which shows how many activities you've completed, badges you've earned, and a record of your progress over time.
The whole thing is free to use, with a guest mode that lets anyone try a real conversation with Buddin before signing up for an account.
- 3 devlogs
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