Teen Girls Are Most At Risk of Social Media Induced Mental Health Issues. This App Wants To Change That

Kristin Snyder

Kristin Snyder is dot.LA's 2022/23 Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.

Teen Girls Are Most At Risk of Social Media Induced Mental Health Issues. This App Wants To Change That
BMOXI

This is the web version of dot.LA’s weekly newsletter. Sign up to get the latest news on Southern California’s tech, startup and venture capital scene.

For Shawn Haydel, it took a heart to heart conversation with her daughter, Sienna Mason, to fully understand how hard it is to be a teenager these days. That was in the early days of the pandemic, when one in four adolescents reported experiencing syptoms of depression and one in five experienced anxiety symptoms. The situation has escalated since then, particularly for teen girls. Almost 60% reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.


With many people, including the Surgeon General, pointing fingers at social media, Haydel wanted to find a way to make technology a part of the solution. She says the internet is so ingrained in young people’s lives that, in order to actually reach teens, she had to meet them where they were: on their phones. Which is why Haydel launched the app BMOXI earlier this month. Dubbed “the self-care super-app for Gen Z,” BMOXI aims to prevent mental health disorders.

“We're not looking to treat mental health disorders,” Haydel says. “We’re really looking to help prevent mental health disorders by being a tool early on with common life problems before they turn into major life issues that are a lot harder to treat down the line.”

Haydel says the goal is to mimic the informal and intimate feel of social media without the negativity. Through the app, people can listen to short audio clips, called moxicasts and peptalkpods, for quick advice and confidence tips. The app sends users daily affirmation texts and also features an anonymous community forum for users to connect with each other. Additionally, BMOXI offers free mentorship and mindfulness tools, like mood trackers and guided journals.

“This age group are the true digital natives,” Haydel says. “In order for these tools to be effective, and desirable, for that matter, it would really have to be in some type of digital format.”

Behind all these features is a team of mental health professionals who guide the content. Haydel tapped Dr. Sharonne Herbert, a pediatric psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and Lila Samia, a school psychologist in the Laguna Beach Unified School District, to ensure that BMOXI could offer effective guidance.

Even with the clinical background, Haydel insists that BMOXI had to still be relatable. Otherwise, its intended audience likely wouldn’t engage with the material. To acheive this, Haydel created an advisory board with five teenage girls, so that while the advice was coming from professionals, it felt as thoughto feel like it was coming from peers. Which is why Haydel leaned on her daughter for support. Mason was tasked with judging whether the suggested content, whether it was podcasts or mentorship, would actually be helpful to girls in her age range. From the music in the guided mediations to the language in scripts, Mason helped provide an authentic teen voice.

“I try to be as brutally honest as I can, just so we can get the right attention to detail,” Mason says.

To that end, BMOXI’s teen advisory board helps inform what topics BMOXI tackles. Those include social media pressure and relationship issues. The podcast scripts are also edited by Gen Z copyeditors who ensure that the tone feels right to their age range.

Mason was also adamant that they work with influencers. Next month, BMOXI will launch its own TikTok account and also begin partnering with influencers to help promote the app.

BMOXI, however, isn’t the only company trying to prevent mental health disorders by tapping influencers. Earlier this month, TikTok partnered with mental health influencers to help educate users about the topic and connect with advocates. Other social media platforms, like Snapchat, have also worked with influencers to spread awareness of mental health programs. Across the board, its evident that people wanting to reach young people and guide them through difficult periods know that teens are looking to influencers for guidance beyond typical lifestyle content.

Without Mason’s advice, Haydel says she wouldn’t have even considered how integral influencer marketing has become in reaching a young audience. “Our goal is for the girls to want to use the app,” Haydel says. “Not for their moms to tell them that they should use the app.”

https://twitter.com/ksnyder_db

Subscribe to our newsletter to catch every headline.

⚖️FTC’s "Click to Cancel" Rule and Its Ripple Effect on Tech

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles,

The FTC’s new “Click to Cancel” rule is shaking up subscription-based tech. Now, instead of navigating a maze of cancellation hurdles, users can cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up—with a single click. This shift is a wake-up call for SaaS, streaming, and app-based companies, where once-hidden exit options often kept users around simply because canceling was a hassle.

The rule also requires businesses to send regular renewal reminders, ensuring customers stay informed about upcoming charges. It's more than a cancellation button—it’s about transparency and giving users control over their decisions.

For startups, the impact goes deeper than UX adjustments. Many have relied on "dark patterns," which subtly discourage cancellations by hiding the exit. Now, companies must shift toward building genuine loyalty by delivering real value, not by complicating exits.

While this might affect retention rates initially, it could lead to more sustainable business models that rely on satisfaction-driven loyalty. Investors may start prioritizing companies that emphasize transparent, long-term engagement over those that depend on dark patterns to maintain retention metrics.

The rule opens the door to more ethical UX design and a truly user-centered approach across the tech industry. It may even set a precedent against manipulative design in other areas, such as privacy settings or payment methods.

Ultimately, the “Click to Cancel” rule presents an opportunity for the tech industry to foster trust and build stronger customer relationships. Startups and established companies that embrace transparency will likely stand out as leaders in a new era of customer-centric tech, where trust—not tricky design—is what retains users.

As the tech landscape continues to evolve, LA Tech Week 2024 offers a chance to explore these shifts in real-time. Check out the upcoming event lineups to stay informed and make the most of your time:

For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Ghost, a company supporting top brands and retailers with streamlined logistics and fulfillment solutions, raised a $40M Series C funding round led by L Catterton to fuel its continued growth and innovation. - learn more

LA Venture Funds
  • Assembly Ventures participated in a $27M Series A round for Monogoto, a provider of software-defined connectivity solutions that enable secure, cloud-based IoT and cellular network management on a global scale. - learn more
  • Angeleno Group participated in a $32M Series C round for REsurety, a company that recently launched an innovative clean energy marketplace aimed at providing better financial and operational insights to support renewable energy transactions. - learn more

    Download the dot.LA App

    🌴🧑‍💻 Your Guide to LA Tech Week 2024

    🔦 Spotlight

    Happy Friday Los Angeles,

    As many of you know, LA Tech Week is right around the corner, kicking off next Monday October 14th bringing together founders, creatives, investors, and engineers for a week of immersive events, panels, and socials across the city. From blockchain and AI to biotech and design, LA Tech Week is a chance to dive into the ideas shaping today’s technology landscape.


    What to Look Forward To

    Insights from Visionary Leaders: Hear firsthand from industry trailblazers as they share stories, challenges, and key lessons from their experiences. Expect fresh perspectives on AI, venture capital, biotech, and the ethical questions around emerging technologies.

    Interactive Panels: This week isn’t about watching from the sidelines; it’s about engaging directly with the tech community. Participate in hands-on panels discussing everything from startup scaling to ethical AI, with honest insights from those actively shaping these fields.

    Networking Mixers & Social Events: Meet and connect with founders, VCs, developers, designers, and fellow techies across LA. Rooftop mixers, lunch meetups, and creative gatherings offer the perfect chance to spark ideas and collaborate.

    Plan your week with the daily lineup, organized by location for easy navigation:

    For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

    Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!!


    🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Companies

    • Clout Kitchen, a Los Angeles and Manila based startup, has raised $4.45M in seed funding, co-led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV’s Surge, to develop AI-powered digital twins, which enables gaming creators to produce realistic virtual avatars for content and fan engagement. - learn more
    • MeWe, a privacy-focused social media platform, has raised an initial $6M in Series B funding led by McCourt Global to support Web3 integration and expand its decentralized network for 20 millions users. - learn more

      LA Venture Funds
      • EGB Capital participated in a $10M Series A funding round for MiLaboratories, which develops software that enables biologists to independently analyze complex genomic data, accelerating research and discovery in fields like drug development. - learn more
      • Crosscut Ventures participated in the $13.75M seed round for Airloom Energy, a company focused on developing airborne wind energy technology to harness high-altitude winds, with plans to accelerate a pilot project in Wyoming. - learn more
      • Overture VC participated in a $5.5M Seed funding round for Molg Inc., a company developing robotics and software for circular manufacturing, designed to disassemble electronics efficiently and recover valuable materials to reduce e-waste and support sustainable production. - learn more


        LA Exits

        • Options MD, a Los Angeles based telemedicine platform that provides care for people suffering from severe and treatment-resistant mental illness, is set to be acquired by Resilience Lab, an AI-driven provider focused on enhancing mental health care access. - learn more

        Download the dot.LA App

        LA Tech Week 2024: Saturday-Sunday Event Lineup
        tech-week

        Here’s what’s happening during the closing weekend (Oct 19 - Oct 20) of LA Tech Week 2024! Events are organized by location so you can easily catch the sessions that interest you most.

        SATURDAY EVENTS

        BEVERLY HILLS

        12:00 PM

        • BIG Showcase (Invite Only):

        BIG Showcase (Invite Only)

        2:00 PM

        Light Dao

        Struck Capital, Seahorse Express

        EAGLE ROCK

        12:00 PM

        Sunrise Integration, Shopify

        EL SEGUNDO

        9:00 PM

        Administratum, Valar Atomics

        HOLLYWOOD

        10:00 AM

        Passes

        MALIBU

        6:00 PM

        • Malibu Beachfront Investors Networking & Wine Tasting:See Details

        Gaya Ventures

        MARINA DEL RAY

        6:00 PM

        • Awaken Your Spirit: A Journey of Transformation (Invite Only)

        Sagos Distro, Alma Wellness

        SANTA MONICA

        7:00 AM

        Founders Running Club

        8:30 AM

        Techstars

        9:00 AM

        Magic Mind

        StartupStarter, Inc., City of Santa Monica

        10:00 AM

        Gen She

        AI LA

        Crea, Barry's, Unsubscribe

        10:30 AM

        Plantologist

        11:30 AM

        • Pickleball Palooza (Invite Only)

        YouTube

        1:00 PM

        • Realfren Games: From strangers to an inner Realfren within 52 weekends: See Details

        Office for Humanity and Circuit Works

        • Talking blockchain technology with special guests: See Details

        LadyDayDao

        5:00 PM

        KARD, What's Plots

        THE VALLEY

        7:00 AM

        Camino5

        VENICE

        9:00 AM

        Westside Yogis

        11:00 AM

        Open App

        1:00 PM

        Ripe and Teddy's Hot House

        4:00 PM

        • Fashion Forward: How AI is Redefining the Fashion Industry: See Details

        VIAVIA, BNTO.RENT, ALMA.AI

        VIRTUAL

        11:00 AM

        BLCK UNICRN

        WEST HOLLYWOOD

        7:00 PM

        Next Sequence

        SUNDAY EVENTS

        INGLEWOOD

        12:00 PM

        Entrepreneur Ventures, VCPE GROUPS

        PLAYA DEL RAY

        2:00 PM

        AI LA, DELL, NVIDIA

        SANTA MONICA

        10:00 AM

        • Women Founders, Cold Brew & Beach View, Rooftop: See Details

        Clutch Talent

        11:00 AM

        11DollarSunglasses.com, Less Litter Foundation

        12:00 PM

        Data in LA, Amplitude

        12:30 AM

        New Moon, Warner UK Innovations

        TOPANGA CANYON

        3:00 PM

        Dreamore

        VENICE

        8:00 AM

        • Surf session with founders, investors, creators: See Details

        Surfed Club, Bow Shock

        12:00 PM

        • Podcast Panel and Brunch: LA Tech Community Builders: See Details

        WeAreLATech.com, Blankspaces.com

        VIRTUAL

        2:00 PM

        BLCK UNICRN


        For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

        Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!


        Download the dot.LA App

        RELATEDEDITOR'S PICKS
        LA TECH JOBS
        interchangeLA
        Trending