Reclaiming Family Time: How an Apple Watch Helped Break a Phone Addiction
Recognizing a detrimental pattern of phone overuse, one individual recently adopted an Apple Watch Ultra 3 with a cellular plan as a strategy to regain focus during family time. The core issue stemmed from a tendency to become deeply engrossed in apps after initially checking a single notification – a fast Slack or email check would easily spiral into a 15-20 minute session.
“If I check 1 Slack/email… I will end up checking all of them and spend 15 minutes doing so,” the user explained, highlighting the addictive nature of the habit. With approximately three hours each evening dedicated to time with their children before bedtime, minimizing distractions became a priority.
Previous attempts to curb phone usage, including app-blocking software and a unique app called “Brick” (which physically locks the phone when touched to a designated object), proved insufficient. While acknowledging the necessity of a smartphone for functions like note-taking, Apple Pay, car access (specifically a Tesla key), and essential communication, a complete disconnect felt impractical.
The solution arrived in the form of the Apple Watch. Unlike a smartphone, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn’t offer full versions of apps like Gmail or Slack. Instead, it delivers notifications. By carefully curating which notifications are allowed through – prioritizing texts,calls,and emails while filtering out internal work communication like Slack and social media - the user effectively recreated the functionality of a pager.
“It functions like a pager,” they stated. This setup allows for critical after-hours communication, occurring roughly once a month, without triggering the addictive app-checking cycle.
The new routine is simple: upon arriving home,the smartphone is placed on a charger in a drawer,and the Apple Watch takes over. This allows the user to remain reachable for urgent matters, monitor home security (doorbell access), and maintain essential functions like driving, while successfully avoiding the temptation to get lost in the endless scroll of apps.
