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India Today
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Can a phone-shaped slab help reduce your screen time?
You know that constant itch to pick up your phone, the one that leads to a few mindless scrolls and swipes? Maybe you picked it up thinking there would be a new notification. But there wasn't. Still, you unlocked it anyway, opened an app and closed it. Opened another, scrolled through some Reels or Shorts, liked a post or two, shared a few memes. And just like that, an hour was gone. Remember, there was no real reason to pick up your phone in the first maybe you were out on a coffee date with a close friend. You had a lot to catch up on, a lot to debrief about what's been going on in life. Yet you couldn't help but reach for your phone again and again, just out of habit. Not that you weren't listening, but every now and then, you'd sneak a glance, only to quickly put it away after receiving a well-deserved death it often happens to you too, you're not alone. Smartphone addiction is a growing global concern, with Indian users spending an average of five hours a day on their devices. Interestingly, some people in the West are turning to a different kind of phone (not really a phone) to tackle their smartphone overuse. The Methaphone is a phone-shaped acrylic slab. And that's it. Its weight and shape make it feel like a phone, and that's all. There's no screen, no internet, nothing. You hold it, do some mindless scrolls and swipes, and put it back in your pocket. No hours are wasted watching smartphone-shaped slab was created by Eric Antonow, a former marketing executive at Google and Facebook, as both a cheeky art project and a behavioural tool to help curb phone addiction. When he sent samples to his friends, a video by TikTok creator Catherine Goetze went crazy viral, making the first batch of 100 pieces sell out quickly. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CatGPT (@askcatgpt)Though it is not available for purchase in India, the stock was initially retailed for USD 25. To get a quote, you can place a request on their is not like a kids' toy phone, but a rather serious adult version of it. So, is it the new, cool phone detox tool? Maybe, or maybe not. Psychologists have a lot to say about whether a phone-shaped acrylic slab can help control your screen time.'The Methaphone is a fascinating concept because it doesn't try to fight the urge directly, it seeks to redirect it. In many ways, that's smart. Behavioural psychology shows us that trying to eliminate a habit cold turkey often creates resistance. Substituting the habit with a familiar physical ritual, like holding something phone-shaped, can offer a somatic cue of comfort without actual engagement,' says Dr Chandni Tugnait, a psychotherapist and founder-director of Gateway of Healing in Walawalkar, psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust, who often sees people struggling with phone addiction, says that those who feel anxious or restless without a phone in hand can benefit from this conceptual toy.'It might serve as a transitional object, helping reduce constant checking and offering comfort without digital distractions,' she Tugnait also agrees. 'It may work temporarily by satisfying the 'hand craving', the physical reflex of reaching for a phone during idle moments, social anxiety, or boredom. Think of it like a pacifier for adults in the digital age. This can be calming for people who feel overstimulated or dysregulated by constant screen exposure.'And then emerges an existential it can't be a long-term solutionThis is just another add-to-cart product that offers a quick hit of satisfaction, like any impulsive purchase, but it's unlikely to help in the long run. It doesn't address the deeper emotional drivers behind your phone addiction, like loneliness, FOMO, the need for reward, or the urge to Methaphone may soothe tactile craving, but it doesn't engage the brain's dopamine loop that comes from checking notifications, swiping, or scrolling. So while the hand feels 'occupied', the brain may experience a subtle frustration because it expects stimulation but receives none. This could lead to increased irritability or rebound scrolling later, especially in those with stronger tech dependencies,' explains Dr Tugnait. Photo: Then, you also confront an existential crisis that makes you meet the sans-phone version of yourself.'Holding a Methaphone may reveal deeper withdrawal not from the device, but from the self-concept it props up. The discomfort Methaphone reveals isn't about not holding a phone, it's about not knowing who you are without the phone,' adds Dr you use a phone-like slab to curb screen time?Anyone struggling with phone addiction often desperately wants to cut down their usage, especially when the toll on physical and mental health becomes hard to ignore. While some turn to built-in screen time controls on their phones and apps, others dream of switching to dumbphones (which, by the way, have been seeing a rise in sales).advertisementWhether or not you plan to introduce a placebo phone into your life, here are some expert-approved ways to reduce your screen time:Keep your phone in another roomGive time to offline habits (exercise, hobbies, time with loved ones)Use built-in screen time and app limit features (try that again)Don't take your phone to the loo or the dinner tableDelete distracting appsSpeak to a mental health professionalThe verdictOn its own, it's a clever tactile tool. Paired with conscious intention, it could become a bridge to genuine tech healing.- EndsMust Watch
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A video of a woman using a transparent 'phone' went viral. But can it actually help curb your smartphone addiction?
Is that transparent 'phone' you've spotted on TikTok legit? It may be, in the future — but at the moment, it's just a piece of plastic designed to make us reflect on our relationship with our real phones. It all started in May, with a TikTok of a woman holding what appears to be a transparent phone while standing in line at a boba shop. But the video — which received millions of views and had people describing the phone as something out of Black Mirror or a sci-fi movie — didn't actually involve any real tech. Instead, it was part of a social experiment spurred by tech content creator Catherine Goetze — aka CatGPT — who appears in the video. It was all to create a buzz around the 'methaphone,' a piece of acrylic shaped like an iPhone. 'My friend is actually the inventor and creator of these and he told me that what he wanted to test was, if we're all so addicted to our phones, then could you potentially curb somebody's addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same,' Goetze explained in a follow-up TikTok, which revealed the truth behind the acrylic 'phone.' She credited toymaker Eric Antonow with creating the methaphone on her website. On his website, Antonow explained that the toy's name, the 'methaphone,' is a nod to methadone, a substance used as a harm reduction tool in the treatment of morphine and heroin addiction. 'I include myself among people who do not like the current relationship with phones and their apps,' Antonow wrote. 'I wanted a device that would make you think. It is a mirror for your phone feelings. You turn it over in your hands and questions might start to arise. Woah, how can this thing have such power and presence in my life? What would it be like to carry it around with me all day?' Goetze's website now links to a form you can fill out if you want your own methaphone. In exchange, Goetze asks that people share feedback about their experiences using this piece of non-tech. 'We're all just individuals up against, what? The entirety of big tech?' Goetze asked in her TIkTok. 'I think that's why this little piece of acrylic feels so empowering. I mean, honestly, look, have I used my phone less in the past week that I've been carrying this around with me? Probably not. But just the idea that I could have something in my life — something I can touch and hold — and the conversation that this little guy is sparking online ... that's what really matters,' she said. People in Goetze's TikTok comments are skeptical that the methaphone would help people curb a smartphone habit. One wrote, 'I'm addicted to TikTok, not my phone.' Another added, 'Nobody is addicted to holding phones, they're addicted to the apps.' And a third noted that 'As an older millennial that would not work for me. I grew up when there were no cell phones, so I'm addicted to the access to information, not the idea of holding the phone.' Kostadin Kushlev, an assistant professor at Georgetown University who explores how technology affects happiness, told Yahoo News that there has not been enough research on objects like the methaphone to say definitively that it will or will not help people curb their smartphone habit. There is some precedent for the methaphone, however, Kushlev noted, in that some people who quit smoking may wean themselves off of cigarettes or vapes by choosing to use nicotine-free devices that have the same feel as their preferred smoking device. However, Kushlev added that there are many reasons why people are so attached to their devices, and it doesn't have to do with the physical object itself. 'We live in an attention economy, and our attention is very valuable in terms of selling ads — and ultimately, the platforms we use, like social media and gaming platforms, know how to hook people,' he explained. One way they do this is through 'variable reinforcement,' which is a concept that's similar to how slot machines work. Since you never know when you'll get a like or a comment, that unpredictability keeps you checking in and scrolling, in hopes you'll get a notification that triggers a hit of dopamine. That makes the behavior more addictive over time. And the ability to create engagement is 'the main metric by which these platforms judge success, and the main metric that can be measured,' he explained — meaning there's a major incentive from companies to keep your eyeballs on your phone. So while the methaphone may be an interesting conversation starter, it's likely not going to be the thing that helps you kick a smartphone habit for good.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Social media users are BAFFLED by video of woman using a 'transparent phone' - and the explanation is even wilder
If a viral video is to be believed, the latest gizmo from California is a fully transparent smartphone. TikTok user @askcatgpt posted a clip of herself 'using' the completely clear handset while standing in a shop in San Francisco. As the content creator stands in line, she scrolls idly on the devoce before looking into the camera. The caption says: 'Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14...?!? Wft??????' Social media users have been left baffled by the short clip, with one saying: 'she's on a mission from the future.' Someone else replied 'This could be a Black Mirror promo', while another said 'oh that's Nokia transparent phone'. Yet another joked: 'I can't even find my phone now. I'll never find it when it's translucent.' Although it really is a product for sale, the TikTok video – which got 3.5 million likes and more than 17,000 comments – is not all it seems. In a follow-up video a day later, @askcatgpt – real name Catherine Goetze – revealed the truth. The clear rectangle – which is now sold-out online – is just a slab of acrylic in the shape of an iPhone, she explained. Unsurprisingly, due to its complete lack of interior components, it doesn't do anything a smartphone does such as send messages or order a takeaway. Apparently, Goetze was given it by a friend to see if just having a object of similar size and shape could reduce her smartphone usage. 'He told me what he wanted to test if we're all so addicted to our phones,' she said in the follow-up clip. 'Could you potentially curb someone's addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same?' The TikToker said the object 'feels so empowering', although she admitted she it probably hasn't made her use her real phone any less. The acrylic slab – listed on for $25 – has been dubbed the 'methaphone' which is a reference to methadone, the drug that's used medically to treat chronic pain and opioid use. Do YOU need a methaphone? The acrylic slab which matches the size of a iPhone is listed on for $25. The description says it lets you leave your phone without any 'cravings or withdrawal'. 'We carry our phones everywhere. It feels strange and unsettling when we can't feel them. We twitch, worried we've lost something,' it says. 'Methaphone can help you manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can fill that hole in your back pocket. It can fill that hole in your hand. Opioid addicts have used methadone to help step down from dependency, and now you have this.' 'For 50 years, heroin addicts have used methadone to help break their addiction,' the product description says. 'Now you can step down your dependency on your mobile device with this: methaphone. Leave your phone without the cravings or withdrawal.' The methaphone is currently sold out, but anyone interested in buying it can leave their email address and get an update when it's back in stock. TikTok users commented on @askcatgpt's follow-up video, with one simply posting: 'Soooo it's a piece of glasss.' Another posted: 'so this is not a real phone, it's just glass and they're trying to make it sound deeper than what it is.' A third said: 'Nobody's addicted to holding phones, they're addicted to the apps', while a fourth said: 'Just leave your phone at home and pretend it's the 90's.' Yet another posted: 'I'm addicted to TikTok, not my phone.' Catherine Goetze, who has a science and tech degree from Stanford University, claims to offer 'non-pretentious, non-patronizing AI education' for businesses. While the idea of a clear smartphone may sound radical, some companies are indeed planning to introduce more glass into their designs. Apple is working on a 'mostly glass' iPhone, according to a recent report from renowned tipster Mark Gurman. Apple has also previously filed a patent for an all-glass smartphone with a continuous display across the front, back and sides. Dubbed 'a single slab of glass', the patent shows a device with displays on both its front and back, as well as touchscreen buttons on its curved edges. Korean rival Samsung also filed patents for a transparent phone in 2020, Android Authority reported. Samsung unveils thinnest model EVER with Galaxy S25 device measuring just 5.8mm thick - but there's a catch Samsung has unveiled its thinnest smartphone model ever, with a device measuring just 5.8 millimetres thick. After months of waiting, the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was finally launched at the Galaxy Unpacked event on May 12. Weighing just 163 grams, this flagship model is 32 per cent lighter and 34 per cent thinner than the already skinny iPhone 16 Pro Max. And with Samsung claiming the battery can offer 24 hours of video playback, you might not need to sacrifice too much power for the weight difference. Measuring 6.7 inches diagonally, this sits between the 6.9-inch top-of-the-line S25 Ultra and the 6.2-inch regular S25 model.
