Communia – A Social Self-Care App

Communia is a social self-care app aimed at women and marginalized genders, and it seeks to better users’ “social health” through features including journaling, mood tracking, and community support.

Its founder, Olivia DeRamus, describes it as a first-of-its-kind social app – a safe digital space where “you can connect with yourself as much as you connect with others”.

It’s already been downloaded more than 100,000 times, with most of its users U.S. or U.K. based.

The platform prioritizes safety as part of the user experience: it uses human moderators and any user who want to discuss certain topics, like sex or the #MeToo movement, must be verified through photo ID.

It also offers a “Twitter-style” feed that can be used anonymously, for users who prioritize anonymity due to legal or privacy reasons.

While 19 and studying in California, DeRamus experienced a sexual assault at university and couldn’t speak about it due to a legal battle the perpetrator launched against her for defamation.

After seeking out a similar space and failing to find it, DeRamus built the app as an answer to this need for safe social networking that also supports self-care.

One example of how Communia is making self-care a less lonely experience is its customizable journaling feature – so users can collaborate with others, easily tweak their privacy settings, and be inspired by others’ journals through the Discover Feed to enhance their own self-development.

Currently the basic app is free, with options to pay for added features, and DeRamus hopes to continue to scale the platform without advertising, focusing on adding value and revenue streams which don’t rely on extracting users’ data.

The app’s focus on safety and zero-tolerance policy towards unsupportive behaviour, like hate speech or bullying, is a key selling point for many who sign up.

“No matter where you go, if you admit you’re a woman, it’s like the environment just becomes sexualised automatically,” shared a Communia user with the BBC – praising the app as a “positive space” for women.

You can learn more about Communia by visiting its website here.