Six months later, this small gadget is my secret weapon against doomscrolling

Six months after I started using Brick, the small gadget has become my go-to against doomscrolling. Brick is a gray, magnetic square paired with a companion app: you pick the apps to disable, tap the device to "brick" your phone, and tap again to "unbrick." It uses NFC technology, includes five free "unbricks" for emergencies, and offers schedules and modes to block certain kinds of apps.

I mostly brick my phone at home and before bed, finding it an easy first step at curbing my phone addiction. Having to get out of bed and walk to the kitchen to unbrick made me reconsider reaching for my phone, and the routine — brick, work for an hour, reward with a quick unbrick — felt like a Pomodoro for phone use.

Bricking also calms the anxious scrolling impulse and encourages me to go out, exercise, or read instead. Brick reframes access to apps as a privilege to be earned rather than something to take for granted.

brick, gadget, doomscrolling, nfc, unbrick, companion app, app blocking, phone addiction, screen time, pomodoro