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2845197541

I wish there was a tool that would turn my smartphone into a dumbphone (only capable of texting and calling) for a period of time and the only way to unlock it would be a factory reset. I would like this for my PC as well. That would be some deep space.

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I'd rather be able to lock myself out from distracting apps for a relatively short span (e.g. 30-60m) and the mechanism to unlock it somehow requires either meditation or -- since calm is hard to detect -- a certain kind of novelty-less focus.

Brainstorming: Suppose you must enter a random 3 digit code for an early "unlock" of no-distraction mode. The only way to get the code is to watch a blank screen for 2-3 minutes, where each digit is briefly visible at an unpredictable time spread out through the duration.

The task would be relatively easy, yet also force the user to have a bit of "uncomfortable alone with their thoughts" time while waiting for the next digit to appear.

Excuse my language but what the hell? You talk about meditation to unlock a phone but you don't have the self control to put it in a drawer for half an hour? You want novelty-less focus from the damn app store? What kind of app stores do you frequent?

> Brainstorming: Suppose you must enter a random 3 digit code for an early "unlock" of no-distraction mode. The only way to get the code is to watch a blank screen for 2-3 minutes, where each digit is briefly visible at an unpredictable time spread out through the duration.

Hold on a second here. You want people to stare at a blank screen as a form of introspection. Additionally you want them to pay attention to that blank screen to see if a number briefly appears then remember that number while staring and being introspective. Good lord you think that task is relatively easy?

Also what is this "uncomfortable alone with their thoughts time"? Do people shower with their devices, are people literally never without these things? More importantly are you uncomfortable in your own head? I'm seriously confused by this to the point of being indignant and I'm only 25.

To be fair some people are literally almost never without these things. I think the blank screen idea could be somewhat worthwhile. There is a tiny app in the play store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.googlecode...

>MindBell rings periodically during the day as a mindfulness bell, to give you the opportunity to hold on for a moment and consider what you are currently doing, and in what state of mind you are while you are doing it.

It is actually quite effective for me in halting briefly my careening thoughts. May seem silly to some.

You're barking up the wrong tree. This has nothing to do with meditation aids.

This is about a user who already enabled a "distraction free" time on their phone, and how you might design a bypassing process which (A) deters a user who was really just looking for a quick dopamine hit and (B) tries to let them through in a way which is less-likely to lead to immediate backsliding.

I only mentioned meditation because it would be nice if a hypothetical psychic mind-reading phone could tell that you were about to use it mindfully.

> You want people to stare at a blank screen as a form of introspection.

No, the real point is that it is boring and imposes a delay before gratification. Any kind of boredom-driven introspection is a side-benefit.

> Good lord you think that task is relatively easy?

Remembering three digits while having no other demands on your decision-making nor on your memory? Yes, you ought to succeed at that.

> Also what is this "uncomfortable alone with their thoughts time"?

"Hey, I've been staring at this goddamn thing for what feels like ten minutes already... did I really need to bypass this lockout just to check if I got another e-mail or tweetstagram?"

Interesting. Wouldn't work for me. I simply wouldn't use it because I know that every time I did and wanted to bypass it to use my phone I would. I would like to be able to use that same impulsivity that causes me to be glue to screens to impulsively block those screens for a long time. So if I wake up and decide in a moment that today is an analog day I make that decision and I am locked in. Having to reinstall an OS and lose data is the only deterrent that will work. One android app I used mentioned the "guilt" of having to reboot one's phone to use it again. No guilt here. I need to put myself in jail and throw away the key for a set time.

If you block an app, you still want it, but your wanting is frustrated.

Our goal with Space is to actually rewire your wanting system. If you use space, the impulse to open the app should decrease.

For us, real freedom is to kill the wanting.

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