Sept. 28, 2015
Alexander Nedd
[email protected]
Tyler Wilson, a junior studying business finance, is on the brink of success with an app that could change the way users drink and party with their friends.
Wilson is the Chief Communications Officer of a smartphone application called Drunk Mode. Its purpose is to help make a night of drinking easier and safer.
The app has four features which include preventing accidental drunk texting to certain contacts in your phone, a “breadcrumb” feature which provides a trail of information regarding what you did while out drinking and an element that connects the user with other friend’s locations.
The app also connects to other applications in your phone such as Uber to promote safe riding alternatives to driving under the influence.
Wilson began as a campus representative for the app last year. He has since worked with top companies to help market Drunk Mode and offer deals to students using the app.
“I worked my way up, they began to get bigger and wanted to keep me on the team,” Wilson said. “Soon I was on phone calls with famous Viners for business development and now I am their CCO.”
The Drunk Mode App has grown popular among college students across the nation since its inception in 2012 and is expected to hit one million users in the next few weeks.
The app started with 20,000 users across the U.S. in its first year. Now, 750,000 users have downloaded the application to their smartphone. About 400 UCCS students use the app on campus.
The free app is available for both iPhone and Android users. Wilson said the group hopes to add new features in the next few weeks as well. Drunk Mode will show hotspots where the best parties are based on GPSalong with a guy-to-girl ratio.
“It sets up an area like a rectangle around Acacia or The Lodges here and it will show you where the most active Drunk Mode users are,” Wilson said. “There’s more too, you can talk with friends who are at the party.”
While the majority of the features encourage fun, safety remains a high priority for Drunk Mode and Wilson.
“We want to integrate a panic button where if you are (kidnapped) or in trouble you can send an emergency text to your contact list, and those people can have the power to call police.”
Wilson hopes to work with schools to integrate Drunk Mode.
“What we want to work with the schools is that the app calls campus police instead of just the police, and give their location,” Wilson said.
The hardest part is getting universities to come on board with the app.
“They look at a name like Drunk Mode and think it’s a party app,” Wilson said. “I’m hoping in the future more colleges will look at us as a safety app for students.”
“I think (the app) is a great idea,” said Katherine Moore, sophomore business major. She said she doesn’t have the app but wants to download it after hearing about it.
“It works to promote healthy drinking with friends and looks to have some cool features. I’m going to check it out,” she said.
Wilson said the app has partnered with a company called Drunk Mate and its new product, an external device that lets users turn their phone into a breathalyzer and analyze their blood alcohol content. The appliance is $30.
Wilson controls the company’s social media platform, where their twitter followers have reached over 12,000. Many have praised the app over social media.
“Drunk mode, you allowed me to keep my dignity last night, and for that I salute you,” tweeted one fan. “Just downloaded drunk mode app for the shenighans I know I’m going to get into,” said another.