The grayscale screen thing actually works, and I hate that it does

I was super skeptical when my friend in Austin told me to flip my phone to grayscale mode to stop scrolling. I thought it was some hippie dippie nonsense. But I tried it last Tuesday and honestly it's messing with my brain. The problem was I'd pick up my phone for a text and end up 45 minutes deep in Instagram reels. With the colors gone, my phone looks like a boring little brick. I still check it but I don't get that dopamine hit from bright red notifications or shiny app icons. It's like my brain finally goes "okay that's a tool not a toy." Has anyone else had this actually work or did you just cave and turn colors back on after a day?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_nathan1mo ago

Tried it a few months back. Couldn't believe how fast my screen time dropped. First two days were rough. My thumb kept tapping the Instagram icon out of habit. But yeah, that whole dopamine hit thing is real. Without the bright colors my brain just doesn't care about the app anymore. I keep it on grayscale permanently now. Only turn colors back on for watching videos or looking at photos.

pat_hart1mo ago

@the_nathan, you're basically saying you tricked your own brain into not caring about the app. Seems like a lot of work just to avoid a little color. Who says the bright colors are the problem anyway? I keep my phone on full color and my screen time is fine, maybe it's just a willpower issue.