As Canada moves to restrict social media for kids under 16, this 21-year-old built an app that wants users to STOP doomscrolling: Lyvio has no ads, algorithms or likes

A 21-year-old Quebec student who became tired of spending hours doomscrolling has built something increasingly rare in social media: an app that actually wants you to put your phone down. The app comes at a time when Canada is reportedly moving to restrict social media use for people under 16.

Alexis Bossé, a business student at the Université du Québec à Montréal, launched Lyvio in May after struggling to find a social media platform that felt less addictive. Unlike mainstream platforms that rely heavily on algorithms to determine what users see next, Lyvio takes a deliberately different approach.

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There are no algorithmically curated feeds, no ads, no likes and no follower counts. And when users reach the end of their feed, Lyvio delivers a message that feels almost rebellious in today's social media landscape: “You’ve seen it all. The rest is offline.”

Why did Alexis Bossé create Lyvio?

The idea for Lyvio began about two years ago, when Bossé says he was looking for a healthier way to use social media. Instead, he found himself spending hours a day scrolling.

“The idea really came to mind two years ago when I wanted a healthier experience on social media, but I couldn’t really find something,” he told CBC News.

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Bossé has described himself as being “addicted” to doomscrolling. Although he knew he wanted to spend less time on his phone, breaking the habit wasn't easy. That experience eventually pushed the 21-year-old to consider creating the kind of social media app he wanted to use himself.

He couldn't afford developers, so he taught himself to code with AI. Building a social media platform isn't exactly a small project, particularly for a university student.

Bossé initially approached developers in Montreal about creating his idea. The quotes, however, were far beyond what he could afford.

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“I reached out to some developers in Montreal, and they were asking for $30,000 to $50,000, which I don’t have as a student,” said Bosse.

Rather than abandoning the idea, Bossé turned to artificial intelligence.

With the help of AI tools, the Université du Québec à Montréal student taught himself how to code and eventually created Lyvio.

The result is a social media platform built around a simple premise: social media shouldn't necessarily be designed to keep people online for as long as possible.

Lyvio has no algorithm telling you what to watch next

One of Lyvio's biggest differences is its chronological feed. Instead of an algorithm studying a user's behaviour and deciding what content should appear next, Lyvio shows posts chronologically.

That means users aren't endlessly served content based on what an algorithm believes will keep them engaged.

Tech analyst Carmi Levy says this shift is important because many social media platforms have increasingly focused on maximizing the amount of time users spend inside their apps.

“It’s about algorithms deciding what you see, what you’re most likely to want to see next,” Levy said. “It’s really software ensuring that you stay on the platform for as long as possible.”

Lyvio is essentially taking the opposite approach.

Once you've caught up with the people you follow, there is nothing else to scroll.

No likes, no follower counts and less social pressure

Lyvio also removes two features that have become fundamental to many social media platforms: likes and follower counts.

According to the Lyvio website, those metrics can create “performance anxiety and social pressure.”

Instead, the app focuses on smaller, more personal interactions.

“On Lyvio, your ‘audience’ is your friends. You interact through private photo reactions and messages, fostering genuine 1-to-1 connection instead of public vanity metrics.”

The idea is to make social media feel less like performing for an audience and more like communicating with people you actually know.

The social media app that wants you to leave

Perhaps the most unusual feature of Lyvio isn't something users can click. It's what happens when they reach the end.

Instead of automatically loading another collection of recommended posts, the app tells them: “You’ve seen it all. The rest is offline.”

That message captures Bossé's broader goal for Lyvio. “The goal really is for people to close the app and close their phone once they’ve seen everything,” he said.

That is a strikingly different philosophy from the endless-scroll model that dominates social medi

Bossé says Lyvio isn't about making money

The 21-year-old business student also says financial gain wasn't the reason he created Lyvio.

“The goal really is for people to close the app and close their phone once they’ve seen everything,” he said.

That presents a challenge for any social media startup.

Traditional social media companies can use advertising and engagement-driven algorithms to generate revenue. Lyvio, meanwhile, currently has no ads, meaning Bossé will need to find a business model that doesn't undermine the central idea behind the platform.

He says that's something he hopes to figure out as Lyvio develops.

The future of Lyvio

Bossé doesn't appear opposed to turning Lyvio into a business. Instead, he wants its future business model to remain consistent with the reason he built it in the first place.

“We can take matters into our own hands and really have a change on the world,” said Bosse.

Lyvio represents an unusual experiment in social media as most platforms compete to keep users watching for another minute.