Yep, That’s Proof!

Caitlin Dewey:

Welp, so, this is what we’ve come to: We now need to use apps … to control our app use.

Pocket Points, a recent-ish invention by students at California’s Chico State, shot up Apple’s trending chart on Tuesday as millions of college students anointed it the hot new thing. The app’s premise is pretty simple: Just show up to class, lock your phone, and earn points redeemable at local businesses. Because if a lifetime of crushing student loan debt wasn’t reason enough to pay attention in class, Pocket Points provides another incentive: free snacks!…

In all seriousness, though, this type of “productivity” app — Silicon Valley speak for apps that address app addiction — is really a booming field.Moment will track how much time you spend on your phone every day, even enforcing screen-free periods like a “family dinner time.” Pauseinvites users to “compete” over who can keep airplane mode on the longest.Checky logs how many times you unlock your phone, and then (oddly?) encourages you to tweet it.