Topic: screen time reduction
-
Break free from doomscrolling with these active apps
A new wave of apps combats endless scrolling by making physical activity a prerequisite for accessing distracting apps, using gamification and coercion instead of willpower. Examples include Digital Carrot and StepBloc, which lock apps until users hit step or workout goals; Steppin and WalkLock/ ...
Read More » -
UC Berkeley Students Lead the Fight Against Smartphones
78% of University of California, Berkeley undergraduates believe their phone use hinders deep thinking and creativity, sparking a student-led movement to disconnect. Students are using low-tech methods like physical fliers and signs for a "lowest screentime contest" to encourage reduced screen ti...
Read More » -
Dumb Co Challenge: Trading My iPhone for a Hacked Flip Phone
Lydia Peabody's friend using a flip phone for the Month Offline challenge inspired her to leave her career as a therapist and become the founding CMO of Dumb Co, a company selling flip phones that sync to smartphones. Dumb Co's flip phone installs custom software on a $20 TCL device, allowing acc...
Read More » -
WeWard, Backed by Venus Williams, Locks Apps Until You Walk
WeWard's new "Walking Mode" feature allows users to block access to specific apps like TikTok or Instagram until they reach a daily step goal, aiming to promote healthier movement habits and reduce screen time. The walking rewards app, backed by Venus Williams, primarily incentivizes users with i...
Read More » -
Dex: The AI Camera That Teaches Kids New Languages
Dex is an AI-powered camera device that encourages children to learn languages by interacting with real-world objects, offering an alternative to screen-based education. Developed by parents to reduce screen time, it recently secured $4.8 million in funding and supports eight languages plus 34 di...
Read More » -
Switching to an LTE Smartwatch Taught Me a Valuable Lesson
Living without a smartphone for a week revealed both liberation and frustration, with a smartwatch serving as a limited but functional alternative. The experiment highlighted the importance of planning and boundaries, as tasks like navigation and app access proved challenging without a phone. Key...
Read More » -
Rocapine raises $13m to build healthy app habits
Rocapine, a Paris-based venture studio, secured $13 million in Series A funding to develop wellness apps that use gaming techniques to minimize screen time, aiming for "time well spent" rather than maximizing engagement. Within nine months of launch, the studio achieved $6 million in annual recur...
Read More » -
Gen Z trades smartphones for 'dumb' phones to break social media habit
Young adults are increasingly trading smartphones for minimalist "dumb phones" to escape social media addiction, driven by mental health concerns and nostalgia for a pre-internet era, with startups like Dumb.co and The Light Phone catering to this trend. Social media use triggers addiction-like s...
Read More »