I recently read that the average person now spends around 2 hours and 24 minutes per day on social media. That’s over 17 hours a week – basically a part-time job. And for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, those numbers are even higher.
We scroll while commuting, during lunch breaks, before sleep. It's a habit. A reflex. A digital instinct.

So the question isn’t: "Do people still use social apps?" The real question is: What are they not getting from the ones they already have?

At Olearis, we’ve worked with founders, communities, and enterprises to build social media apps that people return to daily. Not because they’re designed for addiction - but because they actually help. They offer identity, connection, support, and accountability.

If you’ve been thinking about how to create a social media app that sticks, now might be the perfect time.

Why Social Apps Still Matter in 2025

In 2025, users have seen it all. They don’t care about infinite scroll or trendy filters. They want something real.
Something that feels like home.
They want:
- A space where they feel safe - A place where they belong - A platform that respects their time and presence
Social media at its best is not about followers. It’s about presence.

If you can provide that through intentional social media app development, you’ll create something far more valuable than "just another app."

What Actually Works (and Why)

We’ve been in the trenches of social app development, and here’s what separates the apps that fade out from the ones that stick:

One product we worked on was for people with speech and hearing disabilities. The focus was on simple emotional expression and peer support. When we made the UX more intuitive and personal, daily engagement tripled. (See case study)

Another app we built helped women make new, safe friendships. We added matching tools, local chat, shared-interest filters, and trust-building features. Retention went through the roof. (See case study)

One of our college-focused apps matched students with workout partners by schedule, fitness level, and campus. When we introduced streaks and shared goals, weekly retention doubled. (See case study)

These weren’t content feeds. They were behavioral tools that helped people form habits and identities.
We’ve also developed a voice-first companion app for older adults who live alone, helping them reduce loneliness and feel more connected to the world around them.

Another case: a digital journal app designed around AI-assisted emotional reflection, where users interact not with a newsfeed but with thoughtful prompts, insights, and voice entries. (See more)

Why Most Social Media Apps Fail

Most social platforms don’t crash. They just fade.

Because they imitate existing platforms, rely on dopamine loops, and focus too much on acquisition instead of retention.
If you want to make a social media app that thrives, ask yourself: What value do users get in the first 60 seconds?
If they don’t see it, they’re gone.

What Makes a Social Media App Stick?

It’s not just about UX or push notifications. It’s about moments.

Your product needs to change something specific in the user’s day:
A mood-tracking app we built saw a spike when we added shared goals and emotion streaks.
A student app helped users show up for gym sessions by creating shared accountability.
Both of these succeeded not because of flashy features, but because they built simple, frictionless habit loops. That’s how you build a social media app that gets used - not just downloaded.

Learn From the Giants (Then Do It Better)

You don’t need to copy big players, but you should learn from them:

TikTok mastered personalized content. BeReal redefined authenticity. Reddit embraced niche communities.
Each one nailed two things: identity and behavior.
The best decision? Start narrow. Serve one group really well, and build out from there.
That’s how you win at social media application development.

How We Build Apps That Scale

We’ve delivered 400+ apps. But social application development is different.
It demands emotional intelligence, scalable infrastructure, and thoughtful design.

Here’s how we approach it:
We use behavioral UX to drive good habits and lower churn. We integrate AI-powered moderation for safer, more inclusive communities. We build on cloud-native tech, scalable from 10K to 10M users. And we bake in real-time analytics from day one - so insights are always at your fingertips.
In one project, we redesigned onboarding based on emotional cues. Result? 40% Day 1 retention boost.
In another, we enabled dynamic group creation by city, leading to strong organic growth and deep user trust.
This is what thoughtful social media app development looks like.

Should You Build One?

If you’ve had a platform idea for a group or cause that matters to you, maybe now’s the time to act.

Is your idea based on lived experience? Does it solve a real emotional or social need? Could it do more than a Discord or Facebook group?
If yes, we’re here to help make a social network app that sticks.

Let’s Build Something Real

If you want to:
- Create a social media app that builds trust
- Make a social media app that grows with purpose
- Build a social media app users choose daily

Let’s talk.

We’ve worked with solo founders and international teams.
We’ve launched social apps for wellness, education, lifestyle, and more.
Ready to co-create your platform?
We’re ready to help you go from idea to impact.