"You can't reverse the psychological rewiring of having information everywhere at all times for decades, but you can implement guardrails. Considering our phones now include screen time monitors and app limits, it is clear that even the makers of these devices recognize the issues extended screen time can present. Despite spending too much time on Bluesky and lost in Discord servers, I've never been kept in check by any of these features or apps because I know I can just switch them off."
"Well, I finally got the viral device that supposedly lets me stay off Reddit without falling behind on emails or missing an important text. The Brick is a small, magnetic square that you tap with your phone to lock and unlock access to the apps you choose to limit. And let me tell you, if there's one productivity "hack" to invest in this year, it's this one. In just two weeks, the Brick is helping me doomscroll less, be present more, and lock in completely."
Morning office conversations split between advocates for flip phones and defenders of smartphones. Decades of constant connectivity make a full return to dumb phones unrealistic, but behavioral guardrails remain effective. Built-in screen time tools and app limits acknowledge harms from extended use, yet those features are easy to disable and often fail when willpower is weak. A physical solution, the Brick, uses a magnetic tap to lock chosen apps, enforcing an all-or-nothing block. Setup and modes operate quickly through an app with categorized selections. Two weeks of use produces less doomscrolling, greater presence, and improved focus; a time-limit option would enhance flexibility.
Read at Esquire
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