While I agree with the article, I can't help but feel like the superfluous animations undercut it somewhat. Would be nice to have a version with the nice diagrams but without the animations - maybe add support for prefers-reduced-motion?

Sure, screen time. But I am also deeply tired of just keeping things charged. Some of my stuff insists on special usb cables - because those cables contain chips that mediate between the <thing> and its charger. Its exhausting.

> Screen Time gives you a report card. And if the grade is bad, the design makes one thing clear:

> That's a you problem.

> It measures your usage. Tracks your behavior. Gives you a weekly report card. If the numbers are too high?

> You picked it up too much.

> You spent too long.

> You failed your limit.

> Try again next week.

> Try harder.

> Screen Time is a blame shift dressed in a soft font.

> ... What if the exhaustion everybody feels isn't a moral failure but the completely rational response to being made responsible for an ecosystem of objects that never stop asking?

> Everything you buy is the beginning of a relationship you'll be maintaining until one of you dies or gets discontinued.

For adults: nothing requires you to use a smartphone. Buy that Casio watch if you want. Use those wired headphones and never pair them again (I do).

EDIT: Some things require a smartphone, not nothing.

The article (with its doom-scrolling) suggests some stats phones should have:

    Dismissing a notification ...... 22%
    Intentional use ................ 20%
    Checking something that pinged . 18%
    Replying to a person ........... 15%
    Updating/configuring/fixing .... 12%
    Unlocking, forgetting why ...... 8%
    Managing a subscription ........ 5%

That would be kind of cool.

The real headache is that everything with a network connection needs system administration.

> Screen Time is a blame shift dressed in a soft font.

The alternative to giving you the responsibility is for the phone to take it, to tell you when you may and may not use it and what for. That's not better.

There's a great essay hiding in that page, but oh my goodness that is a frustrating format and layout.

This is an interesting and more apt way to frame smart features.

One way I've found to avoid objects that come alive is to buy the commercial version.

- TVs aimed at commercial hospitality businesses let you avoid a lot of the bloatware and smart features that come bundled with it

- Commercial washer/dryers let you avoid bluetooth and wifi and other junk not needed to wash your clothes. These are available without the coin operated features

Commercial versions of consumer products are usually simpler, more durable, and don't have advertising and smart features.

> This watch costs twelve dollars. It weighs twenty-one grams.

> This watch costs four hundred dollars. It also tells time. > It also tracks my steps, monitors my blood oxygen, measures my sleep quality, logs my workouts, reminds me to breathe, reminds me to stand,

I had quite opposite experince with casio. If I want water proof (like swimming) watches, I would have to buy bulky and super expensive gshock with GPS and tons of useless festures.

$20 chinese smart watch are completely water sealed, tiny and simple to use. I can even remove wrist band, to make them even smaller. Only downside is battery life is only one week.

I don't know what's the state in other markets, but where I live, Brazil, you always have the dumb consumer products. I think the only pathological example are TVs in which they require you to signin before being able to download streaming apps, but this is something that if you really must you can work around by buying a TV box.

Also, can't you just not give these products the password to your WiFi? Do they make fridges and wash machines that don't work without internet?

The watch is interactive! Nice detail