Move 01
Turn off your read receipts.
In your chat app: settings, privacy, read receipts.
Try one
Moves
Small moves against hooks that are built big. Pick one and try it for 7 days. Doesn’t work? Then you know how strong that hook is. Pick another.
Telepressure
The pressure to reply right away
You reply fast because you don’t want to keep people waiting. That’s care, not weakness.
It's built this way
Read receipts, “online”, “typing” and vibrations are design choices. They make waiting visible, and visible waiting feels rude. The faster everyone replies, the more often everyone opens the app.
Move 02
Turn off vibration for messages. You check when you want to.
In your phone’s settings, under sound and notifications.
Move 03
Mute your work or school group chat after an hour you choose.
Open the chat and choose mute. Or schedule do-not-disturb on your phone.
You don’t have to get slower. You just have to choose when you reply.
Reflex
Opening before you’ve decided
Your thumb is faster than your head. That’s not a lack of discipline: by definition, a reflex isn’t a decision.
It's built this way
The icon on your home screen, the red dot and the chatbot that’s always ready are designed to make the step between impulse and opening as small as possible. Every open counts as a win for someone.
Move 01
Close all your tabs before you start something new.
Bookmark what you really still need.
Move 02
Write one sentence of your own before you ask a chatbot.
One sentence is enough: what do I think about this myself?
Move 03
Film one moment, then put your phone away.
Decide beforehand which song or moment. The rest is yours.
You don’t have to beat the reflex. You only have to slow it down by one second.
Control
Choosing what you see yourself
You didn’t get stuck because you lack character. You got stuck because there was no end.
It's built this way
Autoplay, a bottomless feed, streaks, the numbers under your post and recommendations are designers’ choices. Continuing costs nothing; stopping takes effort. That’s the point: your watch time is someone’s income.
Move 01
Turn off autoplay in the app where you stay longest.
In the app’s settings, under playback. No autoplay switch? Set a daily limit for that one app.
Move 02
Turn off notifications for likes and comments.
In the app’s settings, under notifications. You can still look, but the app stops calling you.
Move 03
Start at the search bar, not the feed.
Type what you want to see before you tap anything else.
You don’t have to watch less. You just have to pick the next one yourself.
Rest
Moments without a screen
Reaching for your phone when things go quiet makes sense. A full head looks for distraction, not silence.
It's built this way
There’s always something new waiting, even in the middle of the night. Empty moments are the easiest for apps to fill, which makes them the most valuable.
Move 01
Charge your phone outside your bedroom.
Move your charger to the new spot today. Need an alarm? Put your phone across the room, screen down.
Move 02
Pick one waiting moment a day and leave your phone in your pocket.
Pick it in advance: the tram, the queue at the shop, the microwave.
Move 03
Put nothing on for the first fifteen minutes after you get home.
Coat off, a drink, window open. After that, anything goes.
You don’t have to go offline. You need one moment your phone isn’t part of.