Notes on screen time and focus
Practical, honest guides on spending less time doomscrolling and more time on what you meant to do.
Latest posts
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Sparky vs Achieve: Focus Sessions or Whole-Day Habits
Achieve earns screen time from focus timers and Apple Health goals. Sparky earns it from any habit you set. An honest comparison from Sparky's builder.
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Apps That Pay You for Screen Time: The Real Hourly Rate (2026)
Mistplay and Rewarded Play pay gift cards for time in sponsored games, not for screen time in general. The real hourly math, and why most skip the iPhone.
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AppBlock vs BlockSite: The Comparison Neither Vendor Wrote (2026)
The top results for AppBlock vs BlockSite are the vendors reviewing themselves. Here is the neutral version, checked against both live App Store listings.
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Sparky vs Habit Doom: Photo Proof or Trust, Which Anti-Cheat Fits You
Both apps make you earn screen time with habits. Habit Doom photo-verifies your check-ins with on-device AI. Sparky trusts you. An honest comparison from Sparky's builder.
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Opal Alternatives for iPhone (2026): Every One Re-Checked This Week
Nine Opal alternatives for iPhone, each verified against its live App Store listing. What each one actually costs, which ones other lists get wrong, and who should stay on Opal.
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Does Earning Screen Time Actually Work? What the Evidence Says
The research behind earned screen time: friction studies, break trials, and habit science. What the evidence supports, and where the model honestly fails.
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Sparky vs Opal: Which Screen Time App Actually Fits You
Opal blocks your apps until a timer ends. Sparky unlocks them when you've earned it. An honest look at when each model wins.
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Sparky vs AppBlock: A Gate You Earn vs a Lock You Fight
AppBlock gives you five ways to block an app. Sparky gives you one way to unlock one: earn it. An honest look at when each model actually holds.
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How to Reduce Screen Time on iPhone (Without Hating Your Phone)
A practical, guilt-free guide to cutting iPhone screen time. Set real limits, break the doomscroll loop, and make the time you do spend intentional.
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App Blockers vs Time Limits: Which Actually Reduces Screen Time?
Hard blocks feel strong but get disabled. Time limits feel gentle but get ignored. Here is what the research says, and a third option that outlasts both.
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How to Stop Doomscrolling: A Practical Guide That Respects Your Brain
Doomscrolling is a loop, not a character flaw. Learn why feeds are so hard to put down and the five changes that actually break the cycle.
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Apps That Make You Earn Screen Time: The Honest 2026 Guide
Earned screen time apps gate your feeds until you finish something real: steps, pushups, or habits. How the model works, plus an honest comparison.