goodproblems

[goodproblems]

Bridging the Gap in Internship Access

PROBLEM: Limited access to internships and work opportunities for underrepresented students, compounded by the confusing and competitive landscape of the internship application process. WHO: Underrepresented students aged 16-21 BENEFITS: 

Applicable experience, thus enhancing students’ resumes which can be tailored to post-grad job applications.

Greater opportunities for networking and professional development through the learning of soft and hard skills necessary for their future career.

Allows for students to effectively decide if they want to pursue certain career avenues.

[goodproblems]

Easy Housing post-dorms

PROBLEM: Finding affordable housing in my college town. The most difficult thing about this is that there are many potential spots but they seem to be taken before they can be found. Even once they are found one has to wait until after the date for the past tenants to decide if they want to release or not. There is the option of putting a security deposit as a reservation or placeholder. The downside is that once you put the security deposit down, you have to play the waiting game to see if you get the spot. If you get the spot, then there is no worry, if you do not get the house, only then do you get your money back. This is limiting me as well as others from trying to find multiple places at once. WHO: Incoming college students who are looking for housing once they are out of the dorms. BENEFITS: Less stress for finding housing. Less time spent searching. Finding a better fit for each person.

[goodproblems]

Gas insurance

PROBLEM: Someone should really do something about the rising gas prices… again. Used to be able to get gas for 1.99 a couple years ago, I get it, ransomware happens. Let’s fix it. WHO: Everyone who has a car that’s gas powered. BENEFITS: Lowering the prices and getting more bang for your buck.

[goodproblems]

1. Personality based matching - Minder (needs more thought)  2. Augmented Reality Personal Trainer - TrainAR 3. Subscription Tracker - Subscriber

PROBLEM: 1. Dating platforms are too heavily based on looks(which are important) 2. (Pretend I had a VR headset) - I would really love to have a personal trainer to show me how to do certain exercises in the VR space 3. It is really inconvenient that I have to separately keep track of all of my subscriptions. WHO: 1. People seeking long-term relationships or who less value looks. 2. Gym goers, particularly people new to the gym who may have anxiety for not looking dumb while lifting. 3. Everyone who has multiple subscriptions. BENEFITS: 1. Easier convenience in finding the long term partner desired without having to screen a large amount of people 2. More confidence in the gym, leading to increased exercise, therefore health

3. An organized way to track all of their recurring financial expenses that is convenient to use.

[goodproblems]

Stopping Screen Addictions

PROBLEM: A problem I have stumbled upon is that people today spend too much time on screens and have a hard time regulating themselves WHO: People of all ages are affected by this problem. Young children's reliance on screens and technology have resulted in an inability to focus and maintain attention during school and activities. It affects all users of technology because too much screen time is shown to have harmful effects, both physical and mental. It also leads to procrastination from teenagers, college students, and adults in the workforce, as they would rather spend time scrolling than completing their actual tasks. BENEFITS: A solution would improve mental health in society by reducing anxiety and depression associated with excessive screen time. There would also be enhanced productivity as there would be less of the distraction of screens, leading to more focus and efficiency. Not using screens is associated with better sleep, which is vital to humans. Stronger personal relations would be fostered, as people may spend their time no longer on screens spending time with loved ones. They may also exercise more, leading to more physical benefits, in addition to the prevention eye strain from looking at screens. This would also support children in their cognitive development, aiding in learning and attention span.

[goodproblems]

project opportunities for creatives

PROBLEM: 

 Creative freelance opportunities: Most creative jobs require a large portfolio, and career success is defined by the breadth and success of projects that one has been a part of. However, these jobs tend to be found on platforms like LinkedIn or, famously, Craigslist and do not cater to the creative community for those who hire or those who want to be, especially for project-based work. 

WHO: Creatives, especially young creatives unassociated with a larger organization or agency, who have been shown to search for more individual project/task-based work to build connections and their professional portfolio. these creatives are even more affected if they are not from/did not attend school in the place they are currently located. much of creative work happens through networking and connections, and without these vital connections, many creatives are left outside of their city's creative communities entirely. BENEFITS: 

greater community connection 

strengthened creative community wherever they are 

more opportunities for creatives to be and/or remain freelance 

catered platform of communication to network and interact with their community 

highlights opportunities in creative industries in a public-facing manner. hopefully less of a nepotistic, closed industry  structure

[goodproblems]

Increasing Emotional Literacy to Boost Confidence

PROBLEM: I feel as though younger generations see things very superficially quite often, only worrying about how much something costs, what it looks like, or how much "hype" it has. I wish there was a way for people to increase their emotional literacy by encouraging them to think deeply about whether or not they genuinely like something, or if they just think they do because of outside influences such as social media. Hopefully, the less everyone cares about the opinions of others, the more confident they will feel in themselves. WHO: The major demographic would be teenagers/young adults (approx. 16 - 26) as these are transformative years and a period I believe where the effects of outside influences could be profound. BENEFITS: In recent years, there has been a huge demand for mental health awareness, particularly in this age range as there tends to be constant change every year in all facets of life. Increasing emotional literacy and aiming to cultivate a more self-confident population—and one that accepts that they can change with time—can potentially act as another support system different from the typical resources.

[goodproblems]

Breaking the procrastination cycle

PROBLEM: 

A significant problem is procrastination which affects people’s time management skills and overall physical and mental well-being. Procrastination causes people to delay tasks or assignments until the last minute, leading to increased stress and anxiety.

WHO: Procrastination has a large impact on students of all ages and academic levels, from high school to graduate school. Students procrastinate for various reasons, some including fear of failure, perfectionism, lack of motivation, and difficulty prioritizing tasks. Procrastination can result in missed deadlines, rushed work, poor grades, and feelings of guilt. BENEFITS: If solved, addressing procrastination among students would lead to improved academic performance, increased productivity, and better time management skills. It would also promote a healthier approach to studying and learning, giving students a sense of control, confidence, and self-efficacy. Additionally, reducing procrastination can help alleviate stress and anxiety, leading to a more positive and fulfilling educational experience.

[goodproblems]

Transportation Troubles

PROBLEM: Hard to navigate which mode of transport would be the fastest and cheapest WHO: Anyone that commutes, shops in-person, people who have an active life, people without cars, etc. BENEFITS: If there was a clever solution, these people might be able to gain some of the time back in their day or have more money in their pockets.

[goodproblems]

Affordable Childcare

PROBLEM: Affordable childcare. In the U.S. daycare can be incredibly expensive and can add a lot of financial burden for young families who don't have family or friends that can help with childcare during the day. WHO: Young families BENEFITS: Lessening the financial burden on these families so that they can spend more time with their kids and also spend their money on other things that may be necessary in raising their children.

[goodproblems]

Determining Academic and Professional Futures

PROBLEM: There are many pressures for high school students to choose what they want their profession to be, but very few resources that help high schoolers explore every available option. WHO: High schoolers are affected by this problem. With the impending deadline of applying to college/declaring a major, there's a time limit on when they have to commit to a field in which they will learn and work for a good part of their adult lives.  BENEFITS: This would help high schoolers' stress levels and overall mental health by setting them up to plan for the future. Although there shouldn't be pressure for high schoolers to determine their futures so early on, it would be helpful for them to go into college with an idea of what they'd like to do so they can start formulating a plan for the next four years.

[goodproblems]

Addressing Mental Health

PROBLEM: Despite great strides in recent years, global insecurity surrounding mental health -in both discussion and treatment- continues to be a massive problem. This is only augmented by increasing costs of care, drug shortages caused by turbulent pharmaceutical markets, and stigmas against reaching out for help. WHO: Managing one's mental health is a universal human experience, and as such this problem extends far beyond the scope of a single group.  BENEFITS: Mitigating even a fraction of the global mental health crisis could benefit a large number of people by reducing the extensive annual economic and physical losses that negatively impact markets and communities around the world. 

[goodproblems]

Ai Scaling Innovations

PROBLEM: Companies need help with learning how to integrate Ai into their everyday work plan. WHO: Business Owners, Employees, competitors BENEFITS: Cut back on outsourcing expenses, more money to the employees and the company.

[goodproblems]

Travel Smarter

PROBLEM: As someone who loves planning trips, even I can find it overwhelming sometimes. Trying to craft the perfect itineraries, understand cultural norms in the new location, assess danger of different neighborhoods, and figure out how to get authentic exposure to the location. WHO: Anyone who travels! Especially those who like to travel but don't want to get a travel agent to plan, etc. BENEFITS: Much easier planning, perhaps in an app form, with suggested itineraries based on the length of your trip and personal interests, crime maps and cultural information, alerts of local events, and local food recommendations curated by those who live there. It would take a lot of weight off your shoulders in terms of planning, and allows you to be more spontaneous with a safety net.

[goodproblems]

Making healthy food accessible

PROBLEM: A problem I've noticed as a college student is a lack of healthy, cheap food options. I often find myself wanting to eat a healthy meal, although many of the healthy options near me are expensive, and I don't have access to a kitchen to cook. Even if I had access to a kitchen, cooking a healthy meal is often time consuming and something that many students may not have time for regularly in their daily lives. WHO: People on a budget who desire to eat healthy foods, people without access to a kitchen, people who may not live close to a grocery store. BENEFITS: Save money on food, save time by not having to cook regularly, increased health by eating healthy meals more often.

[goodproblems]

Popularize Financial Literacy

PROBLEM: I feel our current school system focuses too much on the academic part and ignores to teach students necessary skills in their daily lives. Academic excellence can help them find a job and is of course important, but I think the school should also teach something, especially related to personal finance, such as how to file taxes, to increase their financial literacy, and to let students gain knowledge to handle their financial situation. WHO: Students who want to be more independent and adapt to the society. BENEFITS: Students will have better knowledge about their financial situation, and gaining more financial literacy will help them to avoid unnecessary financial loss, which is pretty important for someone who just step into society. For example, they will have less chance to make wrong and impulse investment decisions, unplanned daily expenses, unaffordable loans, harm their credit scores, etc.

[goodproblems]

Higher Quality Clothes for a Cheaper Price

PROBLEM: Good looking, high-quality clothes are too expensive. And most clothes that are cheaper only last a few wears before looking old and worn-down. WHO: Everyone who is looking to dress nice but is not willing to spend their monthly salary on clothes. BENEFITS: People would have better looking, high-quality clothes for a cheaper price.