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The current state of the world has made the act of prioritizing one’s well-being to the top of the list. As previously reported by AfroTech, Digital Park, a Black-owned Brooklyn-based tech startup, launched its mobile app to combat mental stress during the peak of COVID-19. Now, two years into the pandemic, a new version of Drift Wellness has been built to create even more customization for users — an integrated pulse check-in feature. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the new update measures your BPM heart rate and creates an ambient sound tailored to your pulse. To use the innovative feature, users are to place their fingers over their phone camera and flash. Making feature updates regularly is founders Jeffery and Oyin Antwi’s intention of not being a one-and-done mobile interaction, but rather a fluid experience for users’ journeys toward steadfast growth and better health. “Mindfulness apps with the pandemic and the BLM movement in 2020 — so many apps started...
Global Day of Unplugging was March 7-8, 2025, and Verizon has been doing its part to address the growing challenge of managing screen time and its effects on overall well-being. According to Verizon, the average Verizon home internet household connects 18 devices and the number is rising. On March 6, 2025, at the inaugural Digital Wellness Summit hosted by actress and TV host Drew Barrymore, the company introduced several initiatives to promote healthy digital habits for families. Sowmyanarayan Sampath, CEO of Verizon Consumer, oversees the company’s vast network, which serves millions of consumers across America with wireless devices and home internet. In a recent discussion with AFROTECH™ about digital wellness , Sampath highlighted the challenges of underserved communities, particularly regarding access to technology and knowledge, as well as the need to advocate for increased awareness and greater accessibility. “Which is why Verizon is getting involved in this,” he said. “You...
Authenticity has remained Kordell Beckham’s superpower beyond the villa. Beckham and his girlfriend, Serena Page, were crowned the Season 6 champions of Peacock’s “Love Island USA,” which had become the most-watched series on streaming platforms in the U.S. ahead of the season finale in July 2024, per NBC Universal. Beckham and Page also made history as the first Black couple to win on the show, The Hilltop mentions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Jennifer Hudson Show (@jenniferhudsonshow) Investing Cash Prize The couple — who now have 7 million followers combined across their TikTok and Instagram accounts — earned a $100,000 cash prize on the show, which they split evenly, according to US Weekly. Beckham has decided to be wise with a portion of his earnings going toward investments, and this will include the launch of his own clothing brand now in the works with his team. “We’ve been talking with a bunch of businesses to see what we can do to jumpstart a clothing...
An existential crisis is a profound and often unsettling moment in an individual’s life when they confront fundamental questions about the meaning, purpose , and significance of their existence . It is a period of intense self-reflection and contemplation that may arise when individuals grapple with the realization of their mortality, the nature of human existence, the search for personal identity , realizations about free will and choice, and the meaning of life. It can feel heavy and overwhelming, as it consists of questioning the meaning of living at its most basic explanation. An existential crisis can not only impact your personal life, but your professional one as well. Key Aspects Of An Existential Crisis Questioning one’s purpose, direction, or reasons for living Feeling disconnected from people, activities, or values that previously gave life meaning Having a sense that life lacks inherent meaning and questioning the meaning of existence Experiencing intense boredom,...
Entertainers and professional athletes are among the groups of people who recognize how critical it is to prioritize one’s mental well-being. From blogs to social media, they are constantly in harm’s way for public scrutiny. Despite the trials and tribulations that arise, there are still examples in the industries of figures who take the negativity and transform it into something for the greater good. Here are six familiar faces who have made it their duty to advocate for mental health.
Seeing residents from your area and the community itself thrive is what majority of people dream for. However, what ultimately makes that dream a reality is being right at the frontline for change. It’s the premise for what Broccoli City has been building in being a part of raising awareness about sustainability in Black communities. Over ten years strong, the Black-owned social enterprise’s co-founders Brandon McEachern, Darryl Perkins, Jermon Williams, and Marcus Allen have brought over 20 million millennials and Gen Zers together for the cause of creating opportunities for progress through the heart of music, art, and social impact. The mission has birthed one of the nation’s biggest entertainment events: Broccoli City Festival. After briefly being placed on pause due to the pandemic, the Washington, D.C.-based music festival is back on May 7 and May 8 for its eighth annual event. Broccoli City Festival’s lineup features some of the DMV’s very own, including Wale, Ari Lennox, and...
When Mark Zuckerberg first announced the mission for Meta, he made it known that the social platform was “going to be the metaverse.” Since its rebrand, Meta has launched various initiatives to make sure the Black community is represented in the virtual reality space from creatives to entrepreneurs. AfroTech previously reported on the company’s Meta Elevate program, where for its inaugural cohort, Ciara selected 10 Black-owned businesses to receive marketing mentorship from the tech giant. Recently, in timing with Black History Month, Meta launched the Metaverse Culture Series — a year-long virtual reality initiative that aims to collaborate with Black leaders and creators to ultimately create more inclusivity in tech, an Oculus blog post shared. The new series announced VR artist Gabe Gault as its first Artist in Residence. According to the Los Angeles-based artist, the partnership came after Meta saw his work in the metaverse space. With the series’ launch, he believes it will...
Executive Kalina Bryant has accomplished the impossible — namely, by being unapologetically Black and female in a white male-dominated Silicon Valley. And at night, she spills the real corporate tea in her podcast, UnapologeTECH. For Black women looking to penetrate that world, Bryant’s podcast is a salvo. But, she said, that salvo goes both ways. “When the George Floyd murder happened, I said to myself, ‘who could I turn to, in tech, about this?'” she told AfroTech. “When your colleagues don’t look like you, they may mean well, but they can’t relate to you on a real level. But on my podcast, we can talk that real talk and address those real issues with people that look like us .” Bryant also brings some of her experience as a consumer advocate to the podcast, where she talks to both her audience and guests about the pitfalls and privileges of the tech world. Her experience as the “lonely only” is not an unusual one for Black women, but Bryant aims to educate above and beyond the...
If you’re the type of person to watch the Super Bowl for the ads, you’re in for a treat this Sunday, Feb. 7. According to Engadget, Michael B. Jordan — “Black Panther” star, People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, Lori Harvey’s official boyfriend, and the Internet’s unofficial boyfriend — has been announced as the voice and body of Amazon’s Alexa. The commercial, which is titled “Alexa’s Body” will make its debut when the Chiefs face off against the Buccaneers. It features an Amazon employee marveling at the new Echo model (which retails for the reasonable price of $100) before drifting off to a daydream. A bus pulls up outside, and the bus features an ad-within-an-ad of Michael B. Jordan advertising “Without Remorse,” a new series featured on — where else? — Amazon Prime. Check out a clip of the ad below: In other Amazon news, Jeff Bezos has announced that he’s recently stepped down as the CEO of the company, and will instead take on an executive role. Andy Jassy will replace Bezos as...
This teenager is on a mission to save the planet one scent at a time! Mahogany Young is what one would call, an earth-conscious entrepreneur. Recently, she started The Green Things — a candle business that focuses on handmade and eco-friendly products, according to Because of Them We Can (BOWTC). The 15-year-old is also keeping it in the family, lining the shelves of her parent’s historic bookstore, MahoganyBooks with her goods. In an effort to create something that her family would love, Mahogany created the vegan products without added chemicals or animal products, including beeswax! View this post on Instagram A post shared by MahoganyBooks (@mahoganybooks) “I wanted to make some [candles] that are vegan because I’m vegan,” Mahogany tells DCist. “Since becoming environmentally conscious, some of my friends have become vegetarian or try to eat less meat and dairy. My parents eat a little more vegan food…and recycle a lot more.” She made the transition to a vegan lifestyle two...
Amidst the chaotic times brought on by COVID-19, racism in America, and the fight against racial injustice, Black Americans have been dealing with many mental stresses this year alone. Thanks to this Brooklyn tech startup, it’s found a way to help the Black community find a sense of peace during this time. Digital Park — a startup launching new technology companies and enhancing the human experience — announced the launch of their new mobile app called Drift – wellness + sleep, “a growing collection of Ultra HD videos and sounds to support mindfulness, focus, or sleep anytime and anywhere you are,” according to a press release. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Digital Park (@digitalparkstudio) The app works by creating a relaxed viewing and listening experience for users playing videos and sounds from nature, including water against rocks, birds, rain, trees, and a crackling fire. According to a press release, each video is an immersive Ultra HD experience combined that...