5 devices to help reduce your smartphone addiction
cons Doomscrolling Screen addiction Well -documentedBut while many of us want to spend less time paste it on the smartphone, it is easier to say than doing it.
He wrote a lot about the so -called Reviving the phonewhere Restore individuals Some comfort of sounds and payment of notifications by reducing a basic feature phone. But the reality for most of them is that this is not a permanent solution, simply because a lot of society today is based on the tools and services based on the Internet.
So it may make sense to find a medium floor, as we do not completely give up our smartphones and tablets, and instead we find ways to control when we do not want the continuous deviations of Tiktok and YouTube, news alerts and the rest.
While it is correct that iPhone and Android devices have some Integrated digital well -being toolsnot to mention Rhetoric to Third party applicationsAnd it is often very easy to overcome. Techcrunch sponsored some of the best devices that physically separate people from their connected lives around the clock-without cutting it completely from the outside world. Balance, after all, is the name of the game.
Although these devices have different approaches to treat smartphone addiction indirectly, they do so from a very similar point of view: it is all about the user who voluntarily adds friction to their digital life. Pay to do so.
UNPLUQ
There are a lot of third -party launchers and blockers that bring a purposeful friction to your smartphone, however UNPLUQ It makes matters physical.
The Dutch company FOB that supports NFCOr “a mark”, which works as a “digital key” to temporarily block some applications on your phone.
With regard to this, UNPLUQ offers Mobile application Which works independently of the physical FOB. You can ban the two most dispersed apps on a pre -specific schedule (for example, during a specific time period every day), or you can pay a The annual subscription is $ 61 To unlock premium features, including an unlimited number of applications that must be banned on Android and up to 49 on iOS. It also provides more granular controls on the ban table (for example, restricting it on certain days and times), among other additions.
However, the true value of UNPLUQ, it can be said that it lies in FOB, which costs it $ 74 With one year subscription, or 22 dollars For the device on its own (you need a distinct subscription to use FOB, so it will have a limited value without it).
Without FOB, users can cancel applications by circumventing what Unpluq calls “distraction barriers”, which means having to implement specific procedures to access a specific application. This may have to get rid of the phone for five seconds, click several buttons, from other procedures.
FOB adds an additional layer of friction, which requires users to click on the FOB on the phone to access the applications they have intentionally banned. UNPLUQ says its product depends on behavioral design theory known as RationalizeAnd it is all about the introduction of deliberate interruptions in the user experience to disable usual behaviors. This makes people think about their actions.
The idea is that if you want to prevent Instagram, New York Times alerts while trying to study for an exam, you can set FOB as a method of canceling your ban and leaving FOB on the other side of the home. This should make you, in theory, consider twice to get rid of the interpretation and focus on your review instead.
It should be noted that there are other material devices that serve similar purposes, such as Brick and 4rem.
Bocus Palma 2
If you literally want to leave your smartphone behind or close it in a box to reduce yourself from all the temptations it brings, there are other devices that can help.
BoxThe Chinese company, onyx, World networks From Epaper and Android technology to create twisted devices wandering in the notebook, DiskAnd Electronic reader The fields. It is important, it packs additional connection features, including a full series of applications via the pre -installed Google Play store.
He released last yearthe Bocus Palma 2 He is the latest member of the Box family, and while it is first placed as an electronic reader, it has dimensions similar to smartphones that make it renewable.
With access to a full range of Android applications, this purpose may be defeated by the associated BOOX as a “distraction free” device. However, given that this is the Epaper, the simple screen does not have the same appeal to consume online content. But perhaps most importantly, it does not have any cellular function, meaning that the connection is limited to the Wi-Fi network-so if you just want to be able to consume content without contact while moving, this may work well for your purposes.
Regarding the messages, it should also be noted that WhatsApp allows users now to access their messages Multiple devices at the same time. This means that you can lock your smartphone away and continue your social life through Box Palma 2 (albeit only on Wi-Fi).
Boox Palma 2 is Available now For $ 279.99.
DC-1 daylight
Like Boox Palma 2, DC-1 daylight It is an Android device mainly designed to read and write on; It is “a space free of distraction for learning and creativity,” according to the company. It also provides Google Play, which means that you can access all the usual applications, although they lack cellular connection.
in 729 dollarsDC-1 is not cheap, but this device is Everything about the screen of 60 frames per secondThe company says that “living paper” is “like electronic, but it is faster.
It is also slightly larger than Box Palma 2, which may appeal to some.
So if you want a reading, work and search device, with the option to dip in some delicious delights on the Internet, it may be the DC-1 for you.
TTFONE Titan TT950
Well, not everyone wants to buy an expensive electronic reader or disk when all they want is to go to places without luring social media or breaking news within their hands.
While similar to the nineties “Phone feature“Certainly an option for those who look forward to keeping their smartphones, and most people lack one major element: WhatsApp.
There are many so -called Daily that supports WhatsAppBecause of the fact that they are running Android under the cover. And because WhatsApp now provides multi -device support, you can synchronize all your messages from your smartphone with one of these other devices.
Among the cheapest these phones Titan TT950From the UK’s phone maker and United Arab Emirates sites TTFONE. It costs about 106 dollars or the equivalent of your local currency, which is a somewhat essential phone aimed at the elderly. He has no applies to talk about, but it comes with a handful of pre -installed applications, including Facebook Lite, YouTube, Browser and WhatsApp.
The inclusion of such applications is not perfect for those who seek to reduce deviations, but the 3.8 -inch touch screen and the associated keyboard in their use of the appropriate internet.
Uniherrtz: Jelly Star
Everyone has different concessions they want to make in efforts to get rid of digital toxins. For some, this may mean that you buy a very small secondary smartphone that it is completely in practice for Tiktoking or Youtubing.
the Jelly star From China UNIHERTZ Perhaps that bow is suitable.
Jelly Star runs Android 13 outside the box, and as such, it is a completely emerging smartphone. But with a 3 -inch touch screen, this is not something you want to spend a lot of time to get rid of it.
At $ 220, Jelly Star is not very cheap for a secondary device. But if that means that you can disappear at the weekend and leave your pocket missile at home, while continuing to access the basic “life” applications such as WhatsApp, Spotify, Uber and Google, this may be an interesting investment.
