#squirrels definitely have too much #screentime these days.

I think the #LightPhone3 is better than a shitty "#ProducedEwaste" #Android 8.1 brick from China but I don't consider it worth the premium asked [U$D 799 MSRP, U$D 599 preorder] for it.

• Plus their #Website being built to mandate #JavaScript isn't very "respecting" of me as a potential user.

I think people can get a better experience buying a #degoogled #Fairphone with #eOS and just put #RelaunchX as an #eInk-optimized #launcher on it and have a better option.

• But I guess given #ForProfitHealthcare in the #USA is expensive I can see why a lot of people would rather buy such a device and sell their old one than seek therapy if they are susceptible to shitty patterns that #developers harness to maximize #screentime and #revenue.

Can't have #doomscrolling or #microtransactions if it doesn't support #NSAbook's #apps or shitty #PayToLoose #games...

• I do however acknowledge that there is a #market for #smol & #sleek "#StupidPhones" or rather compact #Smartphones and I do want to see more competition for it.

What I do have to say is that #MKBHD acknowledges that he isn't the target audience and "that's fine"...

• I just think that requiring people to sign up to some account just to be able to add/remove #Apps is a major #nope in my book.

I stayed off #GooglePlay for longer than it's being called like that and their "#lightOS" is most likely some tightly locked-down Android...

• It's just an insultingly high pricetag for < $200 internals and the best feature they have isn't even the phone but offering a "no frills" plan which seems okay (by #USA standards!) but still...

I think people would be more accepting if it was a $299 or even $399 device, but at a price of a @monocles #phone whilst being way less versatile it's just not worth it.

• Cuz it's not even a super "secure" device or offers something like a "concierge service" where the device price is artifically high to filter out average #WageWorkers without much disposable income...

Yes, of course, makes total sense.

Sometimes it's hard to stop ourselves from automatically checking our phones for notifications or simply ping-ponging between our favourite apps. Senior tech correspondent Adam Clark Estes for @Vox talks us through Apple's and Google's attempts at digital wellness and explains what can actually help us to limit our screen time.

https://flip.it/E7jf66

All in the mind? The surprising truth about brain rot

'Is screen use really sapping our ability to focus and lowering our IQs? The scientists who have actually analysed the data give their verdict'

A very important read, IMO.

#tech #internet #SocialMedia #ScreenTime #psychology #neurology

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/29/all-in-the-mind-the-surprising-truth-about-brain-rot

A Penn State researcher classifies screen time into four main categories: educational use, work-related use, social interaction, and entertainment. It's crucial to examine specific digital activities more closely to understand their distinct impacts on cognitive function and mental health. (By Rinanda Shaleha, Penn State) https://buff.ly/3OepxEa #screentime #mentalhealth #parenting

Are smartphones bad for us? Five world experts answer

"In 2007, #SteveJobs presented the #iPhone to the public. Several months later, the day the phones went on sale, the Guardian published an article headlined 'iPhone set to struggle'.

"'Apple’s iPhone combines a phone, music and video player with web and email capabilities, but researchers found demand for these converged devices was lowest in affluent countries,' the article said.

"Whoops.

"But despite their sudden ubiquity, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how our #smartphones are affecting us. Are they alienating people from each other, or helping them to connect with others? Do they affect children differently than adults? And how do we step away from our phones if our whole lives are on them?"

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/10/smartphone-screentime-good-bad-expert-advice?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

Instagram Unveils Sweeping Changes for Users Under Age 18 - The app, which is popular with teenagers, introduced new settings and features aimed at a... - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/17/technology/instagram-teens-safety-privacy-changes.html #corporatesocialresponsibility #computersandtheinternet #teenagersandadolescence #childrenandchildhood #mobileapplications #screentime(device) #tiktok(bytedance) #instantmessaging #metaplatformsinc #cyberharassment #zuckerbergmarke #instagraminc

Parents everywhere are anxious about their children's screen time and there's plenty of evidence that some forms, such as social media, can be bad for young people. But Anne Thériault suggests that some of our anxieties may be misplaced — that as technology becomes more enmeshed in society, kids become better at learning from it, and that toddler tantrums around television can be mitigated with set routines and limits. Here's her story for the Walrus.

https://flip.it/eppnyn

A new app called Roots, which recently received $550,000 in pre-seed funding, wants to help its users to get a handle on their screen time — and it’s not afraid to get heavy handed to help get them there.

Alongside some stats, gentle nudges and a focus on the quality of time spent on your device, rather than just the quantity, there’s a feature called Monk Mode for when you need a sterner talking to. Activate that, and once you hit your self-determined cut off time, Roots will block you from using that app entirely — with no override or workaround to get you out of it. @Sarahp has the details on @TechCrunch.

https://flip.it/wh7rqY

The #Dutch have always had the best cafes

https://www.positive.news/society/dutch-digital-detoxers-unplug-will-the-world-follow/

via @PositiveNewsUK