Cara and I sat in a beautiful Spanish square last night, watching a group of ten teenagers on holiday. Not a laugh between them, not even a word, just heads bowed to glowing screens as dinner passed them by.
Just to the right, the parents’ table. No phones in sight, plenty of laughter, conversation, connection.
I looked across at my two, aged 9 and 11, and felt genuinely sad.
Right now, I can still say “no phones at the table.”
But when they reach that age, it will not be my rules that matter, and they will probably not want to sit with us old folk anyway!
It made me wonder what could be done.
What if someone from their generation started a movement?
Something simple, powerful, and viral.
Smartphone Fasting.
Not a ban.
Not another lecture.
But a lifestyle choice that feels aspirational, like intermittent fasting does for food.
A 16:8 smartphone fast:
• 16 hours “off” (no smartphone scrolling, no dopamine loops)
• 8 hours “on” (time for social, entertainment, connection)
Start just before dinner so evenings are for family and conversation.
End around lunchtime, giving you distraction-free mornings for sleep, workouts, journaling, studying, or even content creation if you are so inclined.
A classic camera, a DSLR, or even the Nokia brick could capture those moments.
Laptops could still be used in the morning to work on projects, but without email, Slack, or social media until lunchtime.
Now imagine an app that:
• Starts and ends your smartphone fast
• Tracks streaks and rewards progress
• Lets parents or friends send encouragement or pay for rewards
• Redirects calls during your “off” time to a brick Nokia you carry with you, while your smartphone stays at home
• Even lets parents align pocket money with completed streaks
Monetisation could come from partnerships, ads, and branded daily journals that support the routine.
The benefits?
Better sleep. Sharper focus. Stronger connections. A sense of control.
I do not know if this is just a hopeless rant, or a calling for action, maybe my action, maybe not, but when it comes to our kids mental health maybe this is important enough to explore?
Richard Woods
Cara and I sat in a beautiful Spanish square last night, watching a group of ten teenagers on holiday. Not a laugh between them, not even a word, just heads bowed to glowing screens as dinner passed them by.
Just to the right, the parents’ table. No phones in sight, plenty of laughter, conversation, connection.
I looked across at my two, aged 9 and 11, and felt genuinely sad.
Right now, I can still say “no phones at the table.”
But when they reach that age, it will not be my rules that matter, and they will probably not want to sit with us old folk anyway!
It made me wonder what could be done.
What if someone from their generation started a movement?
Something simple, powerful, and viral.
Smartphone Fasting.
Not a ban.
Not another lecture.
But a lifestyle choice that feels aspirational, like intermittent fasting does for food.
A 16:8 smartphone fast:
• 16 hours “off” (no smartphone scrolling, no dopamine loops)
• 8 hours “on” (time for social, entertainment, connection)
Start just before dinner so evenings are for family and conversation.
End around lunchtime, giving you distraction-free mornings for sleep, workouts, journaling, studying, or even content creation if you are so inclined.
A classic camera, a DSLR, or even the Nokia brick could capture those moments.
Laptops could still be used in the morning to work on projects, but without email, Slack, or social media until lunchtime.
Now imagine an app that:
• Starts and ends your smartphone fast
• Tracks streaks and rewards progress
• Lets parents or friends send encouragement or pay for rewards
• Redirects calls during your “off” time to a brick Nokia you carry with you, while your smartphone stays at home
• Even lets parents align pocket money with completed streaks
Monetisation could come from partnerships, ads, and branded daily journals that support the routine.
The benefits?
Better sleep. Sharper focus. Stronger connections. A sense of control.
I do not know if this is just a hopeless rant, or a calling for action, maybe my action, maybe not, but when it comes to our kids mental health maybe this is important enough to explore?
👉 Do you think “smartphone fasting” has legs?
3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1