I love how much research has gone into various apps with the potential to help us avoid doom scrolling. I hope some of these will help and you'll end up having great holidays 🍀
I use screen zen and I love it. I just use it to block social media and something that’s good about it is it makes you pause and answer if you actually do want to open the apps. If I absent mindedly click on IG it asks me if I want to unlock it and most of the time I just choose not to. The reflection part is important.
Great summary! What I have found helpful is to set my phone volume to silent and put my phone away out of sight for a couple of hours. I put it where I can't see it or immediately reach for it when I get bored e.g. in my handbag or on a shelf in another room. Calls will go to voicemail and the texts will still be there to read later.
That's interesting -- how does it suck you in? As in, do you end up actually spending time interacting with Spotify, or do you mean playing music in the background? (I use Apple Music bc I don't like Spotify's tracking features, but wasn't aware that there might be other benefits.)
Spotify - I will start listening to one song and it will remind of another song, so then I move along to that song. While I am there I will see similar artist suggestions and then I am checking out those artists and their songs. A new song comes up and it reminds of something a friend might like, so I text them to share it then we are having a conversation about music that turns to a conversation about life in general. Then I look at a band's profile and see that they are on tour so I check out their tour to see if it's coming to my city or a city near me. If it's a band I really want to see then I will check flights and dates. All of this on that little rectangle! :-)
First off, I love all this, thank you! Second I was halfway through your post when I learned you wrote How to Break Up With Your Phone which I saw someone reading at the pool this week 😀 and I read many years ago and absolutely loved-- bravo!
I've been using the Opal app which I pay for the premium capabilities and block all distracting apps on my phone from 6am to 12pm and then 2pm-9pm with no way around it-- basically giving myself a 2-hour window during my youngest child's nap to tap in where I want to. At this point I rarely even care to anymore, it's wild. I come to Substack on my computer when I'm making a deliberate choice to log onto something and I really like this flow. It's so great that we have these tools to regain autonomy with our devoices, thank you for bringing light to the varieties.
I hope you have a great vacation at The Brick serves you well!
Brittany, I've heard good things about Opal but haven't tried it myself. Thank you for reminding me of it (and for anyone else reading: you may want to check it out, too!)
I wonder what is more successful blocking apps you dont want or tapping to keep apps you do. Ive used freedom but find that can take down basic functionality when i dont want it too - and therefore feels too extreme for me to do it every day. Curious about the others though!
My issue with airplane mode is that it also reduces the functionality of the apps that you actually WANT access to (for example, if you want to make a phone call). And then as soon as you turn airplane mode off for a second, all your notifications rush in. But if it works for you, that's what matters!
Thank you for sharing!
I love how much research has gone into various apps with the potential to help us avoid doom scrolling. I hope some of these will help and you'll end up having great holidays 🍀
I use screen zen and I love it. I just use it to block social media and something that’s good about it is it makes you pause and answer if you actually do want to open the apps. If I absent mindedly click on IG it asks me if I want to unlock it and most of the time I just choose not to. The reflection part is important.
Great summary! What I have found helpful is to set my phone volume to silent and put my phone away out of sight for a couple of hours. I put it where I can't see it or immediately reach for it when I get bored e.g. in my handbag or on a shelf in another room. Calls will go to voicemail and the texts will still be there to read later.
Spotify is a huge time suck and a gateway drug for me. It's not social media, but it is still screen time.
That's interesting -- how does it suck you in? As in, do you end up actually spending time interacting with Spotify, or do you mean playing music in the background? (I use Apple Music bc I don't like Spotify's tracking features, but wasn't aware that there might be other benefits.)
Spotify - I will start listening to one song and it will remind of another song, so then I move along to that song. While I am there I will see similar artist suggestions and then I am checking out those artists and their songs. A new song comes up and it reminds of something a friend might like, so I text them to share it then we are having a conversation about music that turns to a conversation about life in general. Then I look at a band's profile and see that they are on tour so I check out their tour to see if it's coming to my city or a city near me. If it's a band I really want to see then I will check flights and dates. All of this on that little rectangle! :-)
First off, I love all this, thank you! Second I was halfway through your post when I learned you wrote How to Break Up With Your Phone which I saw someone reading at the pool this week 😀 and I read many years ago and absolutely loved-- bravo!
I've been using the Opal app which I pay for the premium capabilities and block all distracting apps on my phone from 6am to 12pm and then 2pm-9pm with no way around it-- basically giving myself a 2-hour window during my youngest child's nap to tap in where I want to. At this point I rarely even care to anymore, it's wild. I come to Substack on my computer when I'm making a deliberate choice to log onto something and I really like this flow. It's so great that we have these tools to regain autonomy with our devoices, thank you for bringing light to the varieties.
I hope you have a great vacation at The Brick serves you well!
Brittany, I've heard good things about Opal but haven't tried it myself. Thank you for reminding me of it (and for anyone else reading: you may want to check it out, too!)
Loved this "If you also do not want to waste your vacation (or life) on your phone"
I got Freedom a while ago using the lifetime payment and it's been so worthy, would definitely recommend.
I love how annoyed Tasha gets! She might be your most effective screen-blocker yet😃
I mean, there's a real indignance in her bark. . .
Big fan of ScreenZen!
I wonder what is more successful blocking apps you dont want or tapping to keep apps you do. Ive used freedom but find that can take down basic functionality when i dont want it too - and therefore feels too extreme for me to do it every day. Curious about the others though!
Ooh, so many useful products I really need to try!
Maybe turn all notifications as standard? They are the worst brain invaders! But yes, whatever works for you :)
Could you not just turn your phone on Airplane mode? That’s what I do :)
My issue with airplane mode is that it also reduces the functionality of the apps that you actually WANT access to (for example, if you want to make a phone call). And then as soon as you turn airplane mode off for a second, all your notifications rush in. But if it works for you, that's what matters!