Smartphone users feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of communications and devices vying for their time can turn to new apps to help them take a break and concentrate on other things.
More than 70 percent of consumers in the United States own a
smartphone and the typical adult spends about 90 minutes a day on their device,
an increase of 30 percent since last year, according to global information and
measurements company Nielsen.
But new apps aim to make users aware of how much time they
spend on their smartphones and to help them limit it.
Offtime, a new app for Android-compatible phones, lets users
unplug from their devices without missing anything important.
"We all love our digital devices. But every once in a
while we want to take time off, which can be hard when everyone is so connected
and you feel as though you're snubbing people or missing out," said
Michael Dettbarn, co-founder of the Berlin, Germany-based Offtime.
The app tracks how much people use their device and which
apps are most time consuming. It also lets users decide how long they would
like to stay unplugged, which contacts and apps they want to remain active
while all others are temporarily blocked. It also lists events missed during
the break period.
"People are starting to notice they check their mobile
devices all the time, not because they need to, but more out of habit. We want
to help people become more aware of that," Dettbarn said.
Another app called Checky, created by San Francisco-based
Calm.com, tells users how often they check their smartphones each day. The app
is free and available worldwide for iOS and Android.
In addition to tracking usage, Moment, an app for iOS
devices, enables iPhone users to set daily time limits and to receive reminders
if they go over. The app, from the Pittsburgh-based Moment, costs $4.99 and is
also available worldwide.
Although technology is a good thing, Offtime's Dettbarn said
people need to learn how to manage it.
"Every time a new or revolutionary technology comes
out, there is fear about what it will do to society. But the next generations
solve the problems and see the benefits," he noted.
"Soon we will have screens all around us, not just on
our mobile devices, but also on the wall or on our wrists. It's not going to be
tolerable to be distracted all the time, so we will need to come up with
solutions,"
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