In 2014 a New York advertising agency created the NoPhone, which is a $12 plastic rectangle that looks like a smartphone. Initially marketed as a satirical security blanket for people addicted to their smartphones, the NoPhone surprised its creators when people actually wanted to buy it. Although the NoPhone won’t cut your technology overuse, there are plenty of apps for that:
Moment
This app tracks how much you use your device each day. You can set daily limits on your smartphone usage and get notifications when you exceed them. You can even force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.
Offtime
Offtime lets you block your calls, texts, and notifications. You can restrict access to certain apps, make exceptions, and create custom auto-replies. You won’t miss a thing, either; there’s an activity log for a comprehensive list of everything that happened while you were away.
Ringly
Wearable technology gets a new meaning with Ringly, which lets you swap your smartphone for jewelry. We’re talking an actual ring for your finger that connects to your phone and sends you customized notifications through vibration and light.
Freedom
A $10 software program that will disable your internet connections for the time period you specify. You’ll need to reboot your computer if you want to get back online—which means you’re less likely to sneak a peek at the ether.
Anti-Social
If Freedom sounds extreme, you should take a look at Anti-Social, which works just like Freedom, except that it only blocks distracting social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, which should give you more time to focus on your nondigital friends.
This article appeared as a sidebar to the feature story titled ‘The sound of silence’ in the October 2015 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 80, No. 10, page 18–22).
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