THiMO
Reducing harm from digital pressure and social comparison
Upstream prevention initiative
The Challenge
Digital environments increasingly shape how people see themselves, relate to others, and measure success. Constant comparison, performance norms, and pressure to always be visible or productive quietly erode wellbeing over time. Fear of missing out (FOMO) amplifies these pressures, driving people to overextend and over-compare.
These pressures are not the result of individual weakness or poor coping. They are produced by systems, platforms, and social expectations that normalise overload, comparison, and disconnection — long before crisis is recognised.
When these conditions go unchallenged, stress and anxiety become embedded as “normal,” and support arrives only after harm has taken hold.
Our Approach
THiMO works upstream, focusing on the conditions and narratives that shape digital and social life.
Rather than asking individuals to adapt to unhealthy environments, THiMO challenges harmful norms around comparison, performance, and constant availability, and supports healthier expectations around pace, presence, and connection.
This reframes wellbeing as a shared, systemic responsibility. It is prevention by design — not coping strategies after the fact.
What this Work Involve
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Exploring how digital cultures and social narratives shape behaviour and wellbeing
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Supporting alternative norms that value rest, presence, and meaningful connection
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Collaborating with organisations, educators, and partners to embed healthier expectations
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Creating spaces for reflection, learning, and cultural shift — without moralising or blame
THiMO does not provide therapy, crisis support, or individual treatment.
Why This Matters
When digital and social pressures are left unexamined, they contribute to rising anxiety, disconnection, and burnout — especially among young people and those already under pressure.
By addressing these conditions early, THiMO helps reduce avoidable stress before it escalates, protects dignity and wellbeing in everyday life, and supports cultures that enable connection rather than comparison.
Prevention here means changing what is normalised, not asking people to endure harm more quietly.
How This Fits the Prevention Ecosystem
THiMO is part of AFF Missions SCIO’s upstream prevention work, alongside BuSE.
Together, these initiatives address the conditions that shape wellbeing, while midstream initiatives — AoIn and AIHS — focus on improving how systems operate and are experienced in practice.
THiMO’s impact is experienced within community settings, where healthier norms, trust, and connection can take root and be sustained.