A smart way to stay away
The BreakFree app hopes to make people love the company of people more than that of their phones
If there is one problem that almost all can relate to in today’s world, it is the addiction most of us have to our smart phones. There might now be a way to break away from the growing problem, if it can be termed that, thanks to BreakFree, a new app that wants to help users spend less time on their phones.
BreakFree’ s Android app tracks the amount of time users spend looking at their phones, and gives them heads- up as to when it might be time for a much- deserved break from their phones. A recent study by analytics firm Flurry found that there are 176 million ‘ mobile addicts ’ ( defined as those who launch apps more than 60
A recent study by analytics firm Flurry found that at present, there are 176 million ‘ mobile addicts’, a staggering increase of 123%
since last year
times a day) worldwide, a staggering increase of 123% since last year.
The interesting app keeps tabs on how long users spend using apps, how often they unlock it and how much time they spend making phone calls. It also calculates an ‘ addiction score’ based on these metrics, and will send reminders suggesting users to slow down when their smartphone use is on the rise.
Users can even schedule periods of downtime with the app by disabling notification sounds and Internet, auto- rejecting phone calls and setting automated responses to messages.
The basic BreakFree is free to download, but users will be charged for the premium version.