Are We Thriving
Our why
Thank you for taking the time to check us out, my name is Alex O’Connor and I created Are We Thriving because I saw a fundamental problem in our society today. In the United States, we have the highest diagnoses of depression in teens and young adults than ever before, the highest suicide rate among teens and young adults than ever before and the leading cause of death for those under 50 is no longer heart disease. It is drug overdose! A completely preventable cause of death. This is a crisis that I need to fight and I need your help!
What has caused this? I believe that our society has lost touch with what truly makes us fulfilled. We are all connected but we are not connecting with one another enough. It may seem like we are because we all have 2,000 friends on Facebook. However, how many of those “friends” do we actually consider friends? How many can we can call in times of need and truly rely on and connect with?
The Biochemical Problem
This problem has extreme biochemical effects. When you communicate face to face with another person your brain releases a chemical called oxytocin. This is known commonly as the “trust” molecule. Oxytocin is the same chemical that bonds mother and child at birth. When oxytocin is released in our brain, we form a bond with the person that we are communicating with and that is why talking to someone in person gives us that sense of fulfillment.
Conversely, when someone likes our latest Instagram photo or comments on our Facebook wall, our brain does not release oxytocin. Why does it feel so desirable? Because our brain releases dopamine: an extremely addictive chemical which is also released when we smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and gamble. We have laws that limit the age that we can participate in all of these activities, however, we do not have any regulations regarding social media use; any social programs to help those who are addicted to social media or any social programs designed to educate those who are currently using social media of the negative impacts that may, and do, occur. Most people my age do not realize the harmful effects of overexposure to social media, but the consequences that will result if this trend continues will be disastrous. Over time, the figures explained above will only increase and our next generations will grow further and further apart.
So What is The Solution?
The solution to this crisis is to reignite that fundamental human connection that we all truly thrive on! Our Ask Me Why I’m Here campaign is designed to promote human to human contact and bring people closer together. I go around on college campuses and stand in line at coffee shops with a shirt that has a question on the back: “Ask Me Why I’m Here”. Every single time someone has read the back of my shirt and ask me the question and I always reply with “I am here to meet 5 new people today! Tell me about yourself.” This immediately does 3 things:
stimulates the release of Oxycontin between that individual and I, creating a new relationship
Makes the new person feel great because I am asking him/her to tell me about themselves and everyone loves to talk about themselves!
Their phone automatically goes in their pocket
So instead of waiting in line and checking my Instagram or Facebook feed and looking at what I am missing out on, I am meeting a new person, making a new connection and truly experiencing that sense of fulfillment and joy that comes with meeting someone new. This is a great icebreaker too if your shy this is the perfect shirt for you! You won’t have to approach others awkwardly, just wear the shirt and they will approach you! Click here to order a shirt and try it out! You can order a shirt at the link below they’re only $10 and if you tag us on social media with 5 new people that you meet while wearing the shirt you will be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Winners will be announced every 2 weeks! Check out my video below to see how this works:
How Can I Help?
Follow us on instagram @AreWeThriving_ and spread the news to your friends, family members and everyone that you meet! Wear a shirt and tag us on social media to keep us up to date on your progress and be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card!
If you are tired of scrolling through peoples Instagram stories and watching what you are missing out on then now is the time to start living your life instead of just watching other people live theirs! Follow me on this journey and you will see measurable results in the amount of joy, happiness, fulfillment and true richness of life that you will experience right away!
So my question to you is: Are You Thriving? I hope we all will be soon!
Make it a great day!
Alex O’Connor Founder and CEO of Are We Thriving