Students Work to End Social Media Addiction

City of Palm Coast

On April 11, 2024, the City of Palm Coast hosted the third annual MedNexus Innovation Challenge at the Palm Coast Community Center. The event focused on addressing social media addiction among young people and featured competitive presentations from four local teams.

Each team, comprising students from area schools, presented innovative solutions to modify behaviors associated with excessive social media use. The projects ranged from applications that manage screen time to programs that encourage positive offline activities.

The winning team, Team Click, led by Stephanie Hooper of the University of North Florida, earned a $1,000 scholarship for their app that redirects users to healthier activities after they reach a set time limit on social media.

Team Rethink: From left, Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston joins event judge Mayor David Alfin, second place winners Team Rethink, and remaining judges Carmen Gray, Teresa Rizzo, and Marijo Cyzycki

Taking second place and a $750 scholarship was Team Rethink, under the guidance of coach Diane Denslow, for their project submission. Teams P.U.M.P. and Pursuit of Excellence, coached by Samuel Mathies and Martin Luytjes, respectively, both received $500 scholarships for their work.

Team P.U.M.P.: From left, Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston joins event judge Mayor David Alfin, Team P.U.M.P., coach Sam Mathies, and remaining judges Carmen Gray, Teresa Rizzo and Marijo Cyzycki

Team Pursuit of Excellence: From left, Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston joins event judge Mayor David Alfin, Team Pursuit of Excellence, event judges Carmen Gray, Teresa Rizzo and Marijo Cyzycki and team coach Martin Luytjes — Team Pursuit of Excellence: From left, Palm Coast Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston joins event judge Mayor David Alfin, Team Pursuit of Excellence, event judges Carmen Gray, Teresa Rizzo and Marijo Cyzycki
and team coach Martin Luytjes

Enhancing the event, Flagler Palm Coast High School students documented the challenge, capturing interviews and providing additional coverage, which underscored the collaborative and innovative spirit of Palm Coast’s youth.

Mayor David Alfin commented on the importance of the initiative, stating, “The MedNexus Challenge, in partnership with the University of North Florida, is a vital part of our community’s commitment to advancing educational and innovative opportunities for our youth. These students are developing solutions for current problems and gearing up to be future leaders.”

The City of Palm Coast congratulates all the young participants for their dedication and innovative approaches to addressing a significant societal issue.

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