Loneliness is on the rise and as you navigate through college, connections and relationships are more important than ever.  What does loneliness “look” like?  It can appear in many ways- it can feel that you are not seen or noticed or you can be in a space with others and feel as if you are all alone.  You can scroll through social media and feel left out when you see pictures of groups of people you know all together.  When we feel lonely, or are alone, that can raise this idea that “something is wrong with me” which can continue the feeling of loneliness.

Nod is an app that is designed to help mitigate this feeling of loneliness and provide tools for students to practice creating connections. It empowers students to build authentic social connections while addressing the psychological foundation of loneliness using skill-building challenges and personal reflection exercises to create social goals into achievable steps.  Its interactive tip and tools are designed to support students across different learning environments including on campus, hybrid, and fully remote.

Nod has been proven effective and engaging through studies with college students.  Students like getting new ideas, gaining perspective and hearing other students’ experience with the app.

Getting started with Nod

• Students can download the free app through either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
• Once downloaded, students can create a confidential account and begin exploring ideas, reflections, and testimonials.
• When students opt-in to use Nod, the platform collected basic user information (name, email address, etc.)
• For more information on Nod’s privacy policy, visit the HopeLab website.

Nod was co-developed in partnership with Grit Digital Health.

CSU is in partnership with Grit Digital Health, a company created by Cactus Communications and their owner and CSU alum, Joe Conrad.  A research agreement between CSU and Grit Digital Health was formalized in Summer 2015 for You@CSU content creation and review, concept testing, and evaluation.  CSU Health Network and other campus partners continue to work closely with the company to envision and continue to enhance student well-being through You@CSU, Nod, and other projects.