Show HN: Introvert – Generative artwork to keep you off your phone

I think there's a lot to be explored in how technology can work with mindfulness & concentration practices.

Regardless, it was a good read. Your idea about dumbphone+SIM-less smartphone is something I've not heard before and might try.

For my current Android I decided to get an upstream open source one (one out of four, to be exact, because there are not many blob free ones). Switched to OmniROM head builds without any google integrations, which kinda has the same effect as a dumb phone.

You would not believe what runs through gapps. Searching a bus? Nope, requires google. Take a note? Nope, requires google. Edit a markdown file? Nope, requires google.

f-droid and its analysis of apk files is a godsend.

My phone stays silent, with ublock0 in Firefox, and never shows a notification if I don't want it to. Use contact stars for allowance of emergency calls in DND mode.

I love it when I realize I haven't eaten at 21:00 because I could keep up the focus so much.

I block all of the classic social notifications/apps, and I keep it on 24/7 apart from times I deliberately go out of my way to consciously press "Take a Break" for 5/10 minutes. The deliberate friction here is, of course, a welcome feature.

With all due respect, I think this is wrong. People play games that are fun, regardless of real-life implications. If you can make a fun game that is socially-conscious, more power to you. But socially-conscious by itself does not make a killer game.

It makes making a purchase a hassle just like it makes checking up on social media a hassle. I intentionally put barriers up to manipulate my own behavior I know well enough. Yes it's annoying, but I've made a habit of it for so long it's a nuisance that is the "Right" way to do it.

Of course adding friction to bad habits is generally going to make it harder for you to indulge in them, the same way that removing friction can make it easier to engage in healthy habits. Nonetheless, the primary element of self-control must always come from oneself, in the moment. I know, since I've gone out of my way to remove many "blocking" systems too many times.

Fortunately, there are a lot of good ways to do 2FA that don't rely on your personal phone! A second device, physical RSA tokens, and U2F keys are all viable options that let you both be responsible by ignoring your phone and be safer. Some password managers will also do your TOTP code generation.