A user on Reddit has shared a virtual pet designed to encourage healthier phone habits. The device monitors screen time and can detect extended, aimless browsing or doomscrolling. When use passes a certain threshold, it sends a signal to the pet over Bluetooth Low Energy, causing it to become sick. Keep scrolling, and the pet could eventually die.
The project is built around an ESP32-S3 and includes an AMOLED display, Bluetooth and artificial intelligence. It works without an internet connection, according to the information shared about the device.
Doomscrolling refers to repeatedly consuming negative news or other distressing content. David Ezpeleta, vice president of the Spanish Society of Neurology, told Xataka that the mechanisms behind social networks are the same as those used by slot machines.
Other approaches mentioned for reducing phone use include Faraday-cage pouches and boxes, which block wireless signals while a phone is inside. Some models have timers to prevent users from retrieving their devices too soon. Paper puzzles and traditional Tamagotchis are also presented as ways to spend less time on a smartphone.
Sources: Xataka Móvil.