Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD, is a commonly-found genetic disorder in children and even adults. It is currently running rampantly through society in the technology era and is soon going to be an epidemic among the youth. So what is ADHD? ADHD is diagnosed to children who have difficulty paying attention, act in an impulsive or uncharacteristic way, or have excessive hyperactivity. Symptoms of this disorder are usually found in a person’s youth, but the effects have an everlasting impact. Schoolwork, self-esteem and socializing with peers is inherently difficult for a child which sparks self-loathing from a very young age. Although ADHD is classified as a “genetic disorder,” environmental factors also play a part. In this day and age, we live in an instant-gratification society, where our wants can be immediately accounted for and attained. Want to buy something, you can immediately place an order online. Want to communicate with family or friends, you can immediately shoot them a text. This is why the attention span of children and adults is gradually decreasing over time as the environment around them changes. Although ADHD is the most common disorder found in the youth of today, experts still have not figured out the exact cause is. They have tried to make correlations between the fact that boys are more susceptible than girls, and certain therapeutic techniques can mildly assist the affected, but no groundbreaking details have been uncovered. Medications have been created and diet plans are also common among ADHD patients that do have positive aspects but don’t completely cure the disease. For all we know ADHD might not even have a set cure that can be abolished completely. But there are three things that doctors never prescribe to their patients, interactiveness with others, new experiences, and a daily exercise routine. And our app, Different Everyday, (D.E.D for short), fulfills all three of these criteria. Different Everyday is available on the App Store and Google Play Store, and its purpose is very simple. When you first load up the app, you will be given a mini-survey that asks you of your hobbies, feelings and what timeframes is the user available for a daily walk. The database of the app takes in all of these answers to create the best plan for you. Now after this procedure, every day in between the time frame indicated, the app will alert you for a walk on a planned route that the machinery has set up. This route will always be unique as it shows different scenery and picturesque details for the human brain. The route will also be correlated to one of your hobbies. For example, if you enjoy traveling to the beach or watching the sunset, the path will be suited towards those wants. There are two functions for this feature. Firstly, it provides exercise for the human body. It is proven that daily exercise, even if casual, is extremely healthy for ADHD patients, As it trains the body, it also trains the mind. Secondly, it stimulates the brain by showing the eyes different places and scenes every single time. Additionally, the app has a built-in A.I. voice console, which allows the machine to communicate with the person. Voice to voice interaction is also very important when treating someone with attention deficiencies and has been proven by physicians and doctors. The A.I also talks to the user about the scenery and unique information to that place, which is why earphones are highly recommended when using this app. This makes it seem an actual discussion is being made from the software. To avoid any repetition of dialogue, the A.I will reset its preliminary options every month for new, replenished ones crafted from the headquarters of our company. After the user has been utilising this app for about a month, they will be prompted with another survey, this time asking how their experiences and feelings have changed after using this application. With a new sense of thrill and adrenaline stemming from the past month, we are confident that the reviews we will receive are going to be positive. They will also have the ability to give us feedback on what they think should change about our product to make it more proficient at doing its tasks. We are also implementing a system where we put an achievements tab in the app. If you have been consistently sticking to the exercise routine, you will unlock accolades that boost your experience points and eventually your level inside the app, creating an incentive. We can also put long-distance running as an alternative for people who want the extra challenge which further induces dopamine levels, and directly assists ADHD. Our main ideology with this project is to elicit a companionship with the machine and the patient, encouraging them to contrast and concentrate their minds and bodies. Several psychological studies have shown that people are more likely to commit towards a goal with a friend rather than as an individual. Different Everyday acts just like that friend for the people who unfortunately, have lackluster social skills that prohibit them from making deep connections. Our A.I will be much different than that of Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, who use extreme formal language to treat their customers. Instead, Different Everyday is casual, relaxed, and most importantly, relatable to the customers using our app. It is our goal and vision for them to look at our product not as an aiding application, but as a friendly asset that pushes them to their limits. We, Different Everyday, hope that this invention can revolutionize the lives of people suffering with ADHD. Alongside the medicated and dietary assistance, it is certainly in our belief that our world can greatly nullify the effects of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or completely eradicate them.
