In the morning when you wake up, in the evening before going to bed, during the day in transport. As soon as time allows, we take out our smartphone to scroll the screen very often without a specific objective. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or even Twitter can waste considerable time.
Application algorithms are developed to keep the user on the network for as long as possible. Scrolling the screen endlessly is one such technique. This is called theinfinite scroll. And this technique does not come out of nowhere since it is a computer researcher who invented it: Aza Raskin.
He compares the displacement “to a glass that is constantly filled from the bottom without us noticing, then we drink much more,” he says in 2020 in the Envoyé Spécial program. He even calculated how long his invention had cost humanity: 20,000 lives every day. So apps like TikTok rely solely on the displacement and the hint: the user goes to the app without a specific goal.
Aza Raskin himself admits to having created a “bottomless pit” and is now looking for solutions to get out of it. He gives a piece of advice: put your screen in shades of gray to make it less attractive, don’t put any apps on your home screen…
Like Aza Raskin, users try to moderate their social media consumption. Like Romain, 27 years old. For the past two years, Romain has used the “screen time” feature on his iPhone, which allows him to block apps. “I don’t have to worry about the time I spend on it, my phone does it for me,” he told Tech & Co.
Before using the blocking feature, I spent around 20 hours each week on social media. So he set a daily time limit for each app: 5 minutes for LinkedIn and TikTok, 10 minutes for Facebook, 15 minutes for Twitter, and 40 minutes for Instagram. It also completely blocked access between 00:10 and 09:30.
“On the other hand, I continue to use WhatsApp, Messenger and Telegram messaging unlimitedly”, he qualifies. Unlocking an app requires a code, which you don’t have. “My sister chose it so in an emergency I have to call her. If I knew the code myself, the device would be useless.”
As a result, “I feel less guilty using social media, procrastinate less, and am much more efficient at my job.” According to him, a “virtuous dynamic” because those around him are also trying to make the process. He will not back down on his strategy unless he is compelled “in the context of his work, for example, a political campaign.”
On iPhone, it is possible to lock applications with a code. To configure this feature, you need to go to the “screen time” option, then select “app limits”, choose a code and define the duration for each app. The code will unlock the app even if the usage time is exceeded.
On an Android device, the feature is found in settings under the “Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls” tab. By touching the graph, the user can set the time spent in each app. When the limit is reached, the app closes and its icon dims. There is no code to activate the unlock, you have to clear the timer from the application.
There are also apps that make these restrictions more enjoyable and fun. Like the Bosque app, which gives users the chance to plant trees as soon as they don’t use their phone for 25 minutes. Little by little, some trees turn into a forest that allows progress to be followed.
The app has partnered with the Trees for the Future association. Thus, the trees planted are also planted in real life. According to the app, 1.4 million trees have been planted.
Another app, Flipd. This helps to avoid being distracted by a phone during a period that requires concentration. The app simply locks the phone. Lastly, Space, with a very sober design, is an application that helps you track your progress thanks to daily statistics. It accompanies the user gradually: notification blocking, screen dimming or even forced interruption. Last piece of advice: self-discipline and don’t open your apps unnecessarily.
Source: BFM TV
