Wellness app aims to help teen girls build confidence, connection
- Emily Lavin
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
For many teen girls, social media is a constant part of their daily routine, whether scrolling Instagram, sharing videos on TikTok or messaging friends on Snapchat.
That engagement can foster connection and self-discovery, but research suggests it can also take a toll on teen girls’ mental and emotional health. Some 45% of U.S. teens ages 13-17 said they spend too much time on social media, according to a Pew Research Center survey published last year, with teen girls more likely than boys to report harmful effects. Some 25% of girls said social media was more likely to hurt their mental health, compared with 14% of boys; 20% of girls said it negatively affects their confidence, compared with 10% of boys; and 50% said it was detrimental to their sleep, versus 40% of boys.
Tiburon resident Jessica Etchevers and Mill Valley resident Ila Panik Marchetta are aiming to counter that negativity and change the way teen girls use social media with U4U, a new social wellness app that offers short daily check-ins, activities and real-time peer support to help girls ages 11-18 build confidence and a sense of belonging.
The goal of the free app, which is available via U4U’s website and launched in Apple’s App Store last month, is to offer some of the appeal of traditional social media in a healthier, more guided way, Panik Marchetta says.
“Let’s look at why girls are so addicted to that, and how can we do something like that in a way that’s going to make their lives better, that’s going to help them become mentally healthy, become leaders and fulfill their potential,” she says.
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