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Products and Design Wellness when Always-On

Tools are passive. Toys are not.

Our phones remain as powerful as ever, but every utilitarian function they have is compromised by the presence of these weirdly magnetic recreational functions. I can appreciate a slick, portable multi-tool, but I no longer want to carry in my pocket the most compelling toy ever created.

– Smartphones Are Toys First, Tools Second, David Cain/Raptitude

Apps on your phone with which you work and create are rarely designed to be addictive. Your camera, text editor, photo and video editors, sketch apps have gotten astoundingly capable. Ultimately, though, they are passive tools at your service.

The recreational apps that David speaks of – well they are a different kettle of fish. They’ve been deliberately designed to pull you in and then keep you there. For most of us, they dominate our smartphone and tablet usage. They actively change our very behaviour.

The only way to keep this from happening is to be aware and deliberate, day by day, about how we use our phones and tablets. iOS and Android now have built-in tracking of how long we use what apps. The key is to consciously review that data and act on what you see without criticising yourself.