Who Is This For?

This exercise is for anyone who feels anxious about making or holding eye contact. It’s a common feature of social anxiety, but many people feel a bit awkward or shy about it.

This tool provides a safe, private, and controlled way to practice this skill without any real-world social pressure.

The Science Behind It (Exposure)

This game is a form of gamified exposure therapy. In social anxiety, eye contact is often perceived as threatening, which triggers an avoidance response (looking away). This avoidance, while it feels better in the short term, accidentally *strengthens* the anxiety in the long term.

By repeatedly exposing yourself to a “safe” version of the trigger (a virtual face), you are gradually retraining your brain. This exercise helps:

• Calibrate Gaze: Learn what a “normal” length of eye contact feels like.
• Reduce Avoidance: Practice *not* looking away as a reflex.
• Build Confidence: Prove to yourself that you *can* hold a gaze, building confidence for real-world interactions.

Data & Privacy

This game uses your browser’s localStorage to save your high score. This data is stored only on your device. It is never sent to our server or any third party.

Clear My High Score

Warning & Disclaimer

This is not therapy. This is an educational tool, not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for social anxiety disorder or any other condition.

No Guarantee: Joyful Psych Labs makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the effectiveness of this tool. Progress in managing anxiety is individual and often requires professional support.

Liability: Your use of this tool is solely at your own risk. Joyful Psych Labs (and its creators) shall have no liability or responsibility for any adverse consequences alleged to have happened as a consequence of using this game.