BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Three Western New Yorkers are trying to reconfigure how people use technology with their new app, Laila. The app, which is currently only available for download here, is designed to get friends to hang out with one another.
"When we finally get a piece of free time, we are generally spending it now with a piece of digital entertainment or content. We're not making the conscious effort to get out into real life," Cofounder and Head of Business Development Justin LaRosa said.
LaRosa, Will Kramer, and Mike Ferris are the developers of Laila and together, they hope to create an app that can connect people with more shared experiences.
"Statistically, millennials out of all generations have the highest rate of loneliness," LaRosa said. So, with this app, he is hoping to close that gap.
The app is designed for friends to connect with people they already know, not strangers. Due the apps machine learning algorithm, it collects data that finds out when you and your friends are free and what you two (or three, or five) would possibly like to do together.
"Laila is like the friend who intiates the get together," LaRosa said.
Currently, the founders are looking for a total of 500 participants to trial the app for more accurate data. The app is downloadable here, but is currently only open for iOS users.
