Screen Time Numbers: What They Tell You and What They Don't
What screen time numbers measure, why they are a poor proxy for the experience of phone use, and how to use them without being misled.
Articles – page 3
Phone in Bed vs Phone Outside the Bedroom
Why keeping your phone in the bedroom affects sleep, what research on screen use and sleep quality shows, and what happens when you move the phone out.
Notification Sounds and the Pavlovian Response
Why notification sounds trigger an automatic response, what research on classical conditioning and alerting stimuli shows, and how to reduce the pull of the ping.
Autoplay and the Next-Episode Trap
How autoplay removes the decision to continue watching, what research on default effects and binge-watching shows, and how to take the decision back.
Background TV and Second Screening: Why You Watch Nothing While Scrolling Through Everything
Why people scroll their phone while watching TV, what research says about second screening and divided attention, and how to get more from both activities.
The Infinite Scroll Design Pattern
How the infinite scroll design pattern works, why it removes natural stopping points, what research on choice architecture and attention shows, and what you can do about a feed that never ends.
Scrolling as Procrastination
Why scrolling becomes your default procrastination tool, what research on task avoidance and emotion regulation shows, and how to start the task without waiting for motivation.
News Scrolling and Anxiety: When Staying Informed Becomes a Trap
Why anxious people over-consume news, what research on news exposure and mental health shows, and how to stay informed without being consumed.
Comparing Yourself to People Online
Why social media feeds trigger upward comparison, what research on social comparison theory and wellbeing shows, and how to notice the habit before it runs.
The Phantom Notification Check
Why you check your phone when there was no notification, what research on phantom vibrations and habitual checking shows, and what the pattern reveals about your phone habit.