Is Your Screen Time Too High? This Device Will Slash It in Half

While smartphones have become the norm in society today, they come with some less-than-ideal ramifications—including increased screen time. From checking work emails to watching YouTube videos to scrolling on social media, it’s not hard to spend hours a day on your phone. According to Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, too much screen time can lead to hindered sleep and increased risk of brain disease, poor memory, and mental health issues. If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I really need to cut down on my screen time,” but haven’t been able to fully commit, this little device may be the solution.

Brick Screen Time Management Tool

Created by two recent college graduates who felt their screen time was distracting them from accomplishing meaningful work, Brick is a small device that temporarily removes distracting apps and notifications from your phone.

How Brick Works

Once you set up your Brick to calibrate with your phone, you’ll open the Brick app and choose which apps or websites you want to block when the Brick is not physically near you. After that, you’ll activate it on your phone and place the Brick somewhere out of reach. To unblock your apps, you have to physically return to it and tap your phone to the Brick to turn off Brick mode.

Once you’re Bricked, a timer starts to help you track how long you stay focused. Because Brick is a tangible device, unblocking your distracting apps becomes an intentional choice that you’re less inspired to make versus just using the screen time setting on your smartphone. You can even activate Brick mode when you’re not near your device. Simply log in to the app and enable it from anywhere.

Bricked vs. Unbricked Phone

Within the app, you can select different modes for different times of day. For example, you can create a “Work” mode that blocks or unblocks certain apps needed during your job. Then you can create a “Home” mode that blocks certain apps during your downtime. It’s completely tailored to you and your screen time goals.

If you’re worried about emergency access or losing your Brick, don’t be. Each device includes five emergency unbricks that you can activate in the app to regain access to your blocked apps.

With no subscription required, Brick is a fantastic gift for students and anyone wanting to be more present in their daily lives. Brick eliminates distractions to help you ditch your doomscrolling habit and enjoy the world around you.