To live in the year 2026 is to be attached to your phone. And while there’s no denying that having unfettered access to information, human connection and real-time events is incredibly beneficial for society, it has also created a form of dependence that many might deem unhealthy.
Brick is a simple device that aims to curb that dependency, or at the very least, create mindfulness around your phone use. There are indeed many apps that already exist that temporarily block your access to certain apps or prevent you from receiving distracting notifications — however, “Bricking” works a bit differently.
Unlike Apple’s Screen Time or the Digital Wellbeing from Android — which are easy to bypass — this pocket-sized and subscription-free device requires you to physically tap it to unlock the apps or websites that you had previously “bricked” yourself from. This means, if you leave the house with the stalwart intention of not doomscrolling on TikTok at work or stalking your ex’s Instagram during your morning commute, then you have no choice but to stick with it, since your Brick (and the access to the apps that you choose to restrict) has ostensibly been left at home.
The same goes for those nightly social media binges that might make you spiral when you should be sleeping. Once you’ve used the Brick to restrict apps, keeping it in another room will likely prevent you from venturing down the digital rabbit hole — it’s easier to resist the urge to scroll if it requires getting out of bed.
