Latest news with #socialconnections
Associated Press
19-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Octoname Helps Remember Names Effortlessly and Solve the Embarrassing Problem of Forgetting Names
Octoname is a flashcard-style memory app that aims to eliminate social awkwardness and strengthen connections in everyday life. Octoname, a flashcard-style memory app, helps users remember names and build meaningful connections. Toto, the Cofounder of Octoname, shared the story behind the app's creation, 'The idea behind Octoname was born from a common and deeply personal struggle: forgetting names in social or professional settings. In search of a solution, I began writing down names and practicing them regularly; eventually, I turned this routine into an app that could help others as well. Octoname was born.' Octoname's simple interface is designed to promote long-term memory retention through spaced repetition and visual reinforcement, methods often used in language learning and cognitive training. The app turns the overwhelming process of memorizing dozens of names into a manageable and enjoyable, daily practice. Using Octoname, a user can now: Whether preparing for a meeting, gearing up for a networking event, or simply navigating daily social encounters, Octoname helps users walk in confidently and leave a lasting impression, simply by saying names correctly. Before any event, a user can prepare themselves by : 'Stop saying, I'm just bad with names. That excuse is holding you back: from deeper connections, better opportunities, and real confidence in every social setting. With Octoname, remembering names becomes second nature. ' Toto Alpha concludes. From students and teachers to expats, professionals, and event organizers, Octoname is built for anyone who meets a lot of people and wants to show up as their best, most connected self. To download Octoname on the App Store, visit: Media Contact Company Name: Octoname Contact Person: Ben Polley & Toto Alpha Email: Send Email Country: Germany Website: Press Release Distributed by To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Octoname Helps Remember Names Effortlessly and Solve the Embarrassing Problem of Forgetting Names
Globe and Mail
19-07-2025
- Globe and Mail
Octoname Helps Remember Names Effortlessly and Solve the Embarrassing Problem of Forgetting Names
Octoname is a flashcard-style memory app that aims to eliminate social awkwardness and strengthen connections in everyday life. Octoname, a flashcard-style memory app, helps users remember names and build meaningful connections. Toto, the Cofounder of Octoname, shared the story behind the app's creation, 'The idea behind Octoname was born from a common and deeply personal struggle: forgetting names in social or professional settings. In search of a solution, I began writing down names and practicing them regularly; eventually, I turned this routine into an app that could help others as well. Octoname was born.' Octoname's simple interface is designed to promote long-term memory retention through spaced repetition and visual reinforcement, methods often used in language learning and cognitive training. The app turns the overwhelming process of memorizing dozens of names into a manageable and enjoyable, daily practice. Using Octoname, a user can now: Create custom flashcards for each person they meet by adding their name, photo, where meeting happened, and any personal notes. Organize people into groups such as Work, Gym, Conference, for easier review. Mark names as 'remembered' or 'still learning' to keep track of progress. Practice with flashcard review sessions at your own pace. Review regularly to keep names fresh in mind, even after months. Whether preparing for a meeting, gearing up for a networking event, or simply navigating daily social encounters, Octoname helps users walk in confidently and leave a lasting impression, simply by saying names correctly. Before any event, a user can prepare themselves by : Quickly scanning his list Build confidence and leave a great impression by greeting people by name. 'Stop saying, I'm just bad with names. That excuse is holding you back: from deeper connections, better opportunities, and real confidence in every social setting. With Octoname, remembering names becomes second nature. ' Toto Alpha concludes. From students and teachers to expats, professionals, and event organizers, Octoname is built for anyone who meets a lot of people and wants to show up as their best, most connected self. To download Octoname on the App Store, visit:
Forbes
03-07-2025
- General
- Forbes
3 Friendship Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore, By A Psychologist
Some friendships don't fall apart — they slowly wear you down. Here's how to spot the red flags ... More before they start jeopardizing your well-being. Being socially connected and having flourishing friendships can deeply enhance the quality of your life. The right friendships can uplift you and help you get through the toughest times. However, not all friendships will have the same impact on you. Some can even feel emotionally uneven, where you feel like you give more than you receive, or you walk away from interactions feeling depleted rather than nourished. It can be confusing to identify when something feels off in many friendships, especially when there are meaningful shared memories and no obvious conflict. But just because a friendship isn't openly damaging doesn't mean it's healthy. Unhealthy friendships may not break you all at once, but they do wear you down over time. When you're constantly overextending yourself or suppressing your needs to maintain peace with someone, you're essentially sacrificing yourself for the sake of the friendship. Just as you may have learned to look out for red flags in romantic relationships, you must also learn to recognize them in friendships. The people closest to you shape your sense of safety and self-worth, whether you realize it or not. So, it's important to be able to discern when a friendship isn't healthy for you and when to walk away. Here are three friendship red flags you shouldn't ignore. 1. They Only Reach Out When They Need Something There are times in life when you need help, and leaning on your friends in times of need is a natural part of any close relationship. However, if someone only contacts you when they need a favor or some support, emotional or otherwise, and rarely checks in on you outside of that, it may be time to have a closer look at the dynamic. This pattern, over time, can leave you feeling more like a lifeline than a friend. You may begin to question whether they value you or just what you provide. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence explored how helping behavior and friendship are connected. The researchers studied over 950 adolescents across 41 classrooms and tracked both friendship and help networks over time to see how often people helped one another, whether that help was mutual or one-sided and how these patterns influenced the start and maintenance of friendships. Researchers found that mutual help, where both people give and receive support, played a key role in the maintenance of long-term friendships. On the other hand, one-sided help was less stable and more transactional. The findings also revealed that help often happens outside of friendship, suggesting that just because someone seeks your help doesn't necessarily mean they value you as a close friend. This sheds light on the fact that if someone only contacts you when they need something, it may not always be a sign of connection. Healthy friendships aren't built on constant one-sided favor. They're meant to offer presence and care that flow both ways. Knowing this can help you protect your time, energy and even your sense of self in the long run. 2. They Flood You With Their Feelings But Never Ask About Yours If you feel like you're always the one taking in your friend's emotional pain, listening to their problems and comforting them through every crisis, but they rarely ask how you're doing, you may be caught in a one-sided friendship. At first, this can seem like closeness or vulnerability between you. But over time, it can leave you feeling exhausted. Notice if these intense conversations happen on their terms, without your consent and if they leave you feeling drained and emotionally overloaded. Research published in Communication Quarterly explored how emotionally difficult disclosures affect not just the speaker but the listener. Researchers examined 82 real-life conversations between close relational partners (friends, family or romantic partners) to study this. Participants were asked to recall situations where they listened to someone share a distressing experience and report how they responded, how much time they spent listening and how responsible they felt for the other person's emotions. Researchers found that the more responsibility listeners felt and the more time they spent listening, the more emotional distress they experienced themselves. Additionally, listeners who responded by validating the other person rather than offering advice reported even higher levels of distress. What this finding suggests is that while emotional support is important, being repeatedly exposed to unfiltered emotional unloading without reciprocity can be emotionally taxing. In a friendship, when one person is constantly venting, especially when it's habitual and lacking mutual care, it can erode the listener's emotional well-being and create an imbalanced dynamic. So, if you constantly find yourself carrying the other person's emotional weight, it's okay to pause and reflect on whether your friend holds space for you equally. Friendship isn't just about being there for the other person. It's equally about feeling seen, heard and cared for in return. 3. Everything Circles Back To Their Struggle If every time you share something, your friend pivots to how much harder their life is or they consistently try to one-up your experience, you may be caught in a conversational pattern where their struggles constantly take center stage. This subtly dismisses your own emotions and needs. A 2022 study published in Anxiety, Stress, & Coping explored the impact of emotional invalidation and investigated how perceiving one's social environment as emotionally dismissive or unsupportive affected people's moment-to-moment emotional states and daily stress levels. Researchers asked participants multiple times a day to report how they felt, who they were with and how they interpreted stressful events. They found that those who felt more emotionally invalidated tended to experience higher levels of negative emotion, especially in social situations with others whom they were not very close to. They also reported more frequent and intense stressors throughout the day. Emotional invalidation had a strong dampening effect on positive emotions, even when people weren't in distress. This research highlights that feeling chronically dismissed, especially in close relationships, can erode overall emotional well-being over time. When a friend consistently redirects the focus to their struggles, it can lead to long-term emotional fatigue and disconnection, even when there might not be any obvious signs of conflict. This makes it important to notice if you're consistently being overshadowed in your friendships. Your feelings deserve just as much space as theirs. The idea is not to strive for a perfect balance all the time, but to show up for each other in ways that feel emotionally safe and reciprocated throughout your connection. Healthy friendships aren't just defined by fun moments or long histories but by how supported and understood you feel within them. The right friendship will provide both people the space to express themselves, be heard and lean on each other without the fear of being dismissed or depleted. If you constantly feel like you're overextending, questioning your worth or walking on eggshells, it may be time to reevaluate the relationship. Building healthy friendships starts with self-awareness and clear boundaries, and continues with surrounding yourself with people who genuinely care for you, not just when they need something, but because they deeply value you and your needs as a person. Are your friendships draining or nourishing? Take this science-backed test to find out how connected you feel with those around you: Social Connectedness Scale
CTV News
03-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
The Winnipeg group helping people create friendships
CTV's Danton Unger has more on a survey showing a decline in adult friendships, and how one group is trying to buck the trend.
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
The big mistake Australian men are making
For some, the arrival of parenthood and family life means a marked difference in the amount and quality of friendships they have. For others, work, the pandemic, radicalised political views or interstate moves have done the trick. But one thing is clear: men's social circles are shrinking, and the results are cause for alarm. A study out of the US in 2021 found that only 27 per cent of men claimed to have at least six close friends. In the nineties, that number sat around 55 per cent. And if you read that stat and panicked because six close friends seems like a generous amount, you're not alone: about 15 per cent reported having no close friendships at all, while in the UK, a 2021 Movember Australia survey found 22 per cent of Aussies – one in five – hadn't organised a catch up with a close friend in over six months. Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Subway last year found that even taking the time to share lunch with a colleague or friend could improve mental health and wellbeing, and showed men were less likely to do so. The survey of 1002 adults showed a staggering 79 per cent of Australians were either skipping or condensing their lunch break, with over half reporting negative impacts on their physical or mental health because of this. Within that, men (45 per cent) were more likely to skip lunch than women (36 per cent). A separate 2023 study looking at protective factors for men at risk of suicide found social and relational connectedness to be the strongest. And while therapeutic intervention must surely form part of the solution, experts believe there are more protective well being measures men can implement to nurture their mental health. 'A lot of research points to the foundation of men's mental health lying in social connections and meaningful friendships,' Seaway Counselling counsellor and clinical psychotherapist Julie Sweet said. 'Even forming relationships with a small number of people (just one or two) can have a profound impact. By combining lifestyle changes with genuine relationships, it is possible to prioritise and improve their mental health and overall well being.' Ms Sweet agrees that access to therapeutic intervention is also key. 'In my clinical opinion, psychosocial support, therapeutic intervention, and vulnerability are the cornerstones to improving men's mental health,' she said. 'Simply put, moving toward rather than away from professional support involves accessing therapy or men's groups and taking the risk of being vulnerable with a mate, partner, colleague, or trusted person.' 'The process of creating meaningful connections involves, quite literally, reaching out to a friend to reconnect,' she said, adding that returning to old interests, pursuing new hobbies, and developing skills through study or mentorship can be incredibly enriching for a substantial number of men. 'Generally, the most difficult aspect is taking the initiative to make contact in the first place.' It is for this reason Sweet believes destigmatising and de-gendering notions of self-care is an important part of the conversation. 'Men perform better when they are aware of their feelings and behaviour, so it's about recognition, self-awareness and action to initiate fundamental behavioural change,' she explained. 'In addition to this, some men may view self-care as a gendered concept. They can often overlook the reality that self-care consists of more than bubble baths and podcasts (as it does for women, too!) 'Instead, it involves setting boundaries, identifying needs, cultivating mindfulness and gratitude, understanding values and myths around traditional masculine identity, and seeking help when required.'
