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Digital wellbeing: Google want you to use your phone less

There is a lot of focus these days on the negative effects of excessive 'screen time', which has sparked a slew of new apps.

Jon Cherry

• 3 min read

There is a lot of focus these days on the negative effects of excessive 'screen time', which has sparked a slew of new apps, which help the digitally addicted manage their condition.

Google have now introduced a portfolio of tools which do just that:

Google have also invited innovators and designers help them on this quest through a new open innovation platform.

Here are some of the interventions that have already been put forward:

Unlock Clock - A Digital Wellbeing Experiment - Apps on Google Play
Unlock Clock helps you consider your tech usage, by counting and displaying the number of times you unlock your phone in a day. Simply download the wallpaper and get started. Unlock Clock is part of Digital Wellbeing Experiments, a platform to share ideas and tools that help people find a better ba…
Apps on Google PlayGoogle Creative Lab
Post Box by Google Creative Lab | Experiments with Google
Minimise distractions with scheduled notifications
Experiments with Google
We Flip by Google Creative Lab | Experiments with Google
Spend quality time together by switching off from technology as a group
Experiments with Google
Paper Phone by Special Projects | Experiments with Google
A printable paper phone which helps you take a break from your digital world
Experiments with Google
Desert Island by Google Creative Lab | Experiments with Google
Find focus by going a day with only your essential apps
Experiments with Google
Morph by Google Creative Lab | Experiments with Google
Stay focused by getting the right apps at the right time
Experiments with Google

These things could just be a nice PR tool for Google - who are understandably facing a lot of pressure to prove that their original 'Do no evil' mantra was actually sincere (not just a catchy phrase that sounded radical when they were small and far less powerful); or they could be a heartfelt effort by the company to try keep balance in their user's lives.

Digital minimalism has been on our radar for some time and is one of the Top 5 Tech Trends for 2020 that we urge South African businesses to consider carefully as a powerful innovation opportunity in one of our curated presentations.