one sec: The app that cut my screen time in half
Source: Frederik Riedel, (https://one-sec.app/press/)
Mobile phones are an instrumental part of modern life – we have everything available all at once, all the time. However, the subconscious sting in the tail of these devices is the physical and mental reliance we have on them.
Social media apps and other mobile distractions have become our personal dopamine dealers, available at the tap of our fingers, always ready in our pockets for the next hit. Studies show that the average person spends 147 minutes per day on social media. It’s clear the addiction to these digital dimensions seeps into everyone’s lives, the algorithms dragging us deeper and deeper into the anencephalous abyss.
Frederik Riedel, a 27-year-old app developer from Berlin, Germany, was inspired to find a solution after recognising the amount of time he was spending on social media and has found a possible solution with his app, one sec. The app creates a buffer between you and your scrolling desires by asking you to take a deep breath before continuing onto the app – a simple but effective solution.
Speaking about what inspired him to create the app, Frederik said: “I started developing one sec in the first lockdown in 2020. There was not a lot to do, so I spent a lot of time on Instagram. After each scrolling sessions, I would feel worse than before: because I just wasted 30 minutes and didn’t even remember what I just watched.”
“So, I tried using Instagram less. I tried different apps aimed at cutting down screen time, but they did not work. My urge to open Instagram was still there and I would still waste two hours every day.”
“As an app developer, I try to solve my problems by creating new apps: and the idea of one sec was born. It took me quite some time to figure out how to set it up best with the Shortcuts app and the automations – but in the end, I was able to inject a breathing exercise between me and Instagram.”
Watch below for a demonstration of how one sec works:
Speaking about his own experience using the app, Frederik said: “It was shocking how well it worked: First, I was confronted with how many times I would open this app subconsciously. And one sec would make me realize these unwanted attempts to open the app, and I could immediately eliminate these.”
Having used one sec for a few weeks myself now, I can wholeheartedly back up Frederik’s claims. My screen time has fallen drastically, the minutes stripping off as I feel my psyche re-align with the prompts, the time, that the app gives. Instagram was also my biggest offender. At first, I was ashamed of the number of attempts in 24 hours to open the app; the guilt from seeing that figure alone had me locking my phone instantly. Then, within the first week of using one sec, my time spent on Instagram halved – the results are that instant.
I have even greater results to look forward to with prolonged use of one sec, as Frederik explained: “What happened over time is even more interesting: My brain re-learned that opening Instagram wouldn’t provide instant dopamine anymore. It became a rather boring thing to do, because of the delay of the breathing exercise.”
Source: Frederik Riedel, The One Sec app’s 27-year-old creator.
“Nowadays, I rarely open the apps anymore. Only very intentionally, for example if I have to message a person that I can only reach via Instagram.”
Frederik was also happy to provide findings from a study he has conducted with the University of Heidelberg and Max Planck Institute, which shows a 57% reduction in social media use by participants over a 6-week usage of the app.
The free version of the app will allow you to use one sec’s automations for one app of your choice. A pro version is available for £9.99 per year (a £4.99 student discounted version is available) and allows you to set it up for an unlimited number of apps, as well as many other features. A small price to pay in comparison to the precious time it could save you.
Frederik has plans to improve one sec and move it forward with ‘a ton of exciting new features planned’. His main goals are to improve the effectiveness of the interventions and to help people establish healthy habits instead.
Explaining the next steps towards these goals, Frederik said: “To reach these goals, I am excited to add new integrations with great apps (similar to the one with Structured), to expand the scientific research (similar to the Max Planck study) and to add new interventions and customizations into the app.”
“At the same time, I am expanding to new platforms, I have just launched the Android app the other week, I also offer a desktop browser extension.”
So, if you’ve not already been pulled back into your attention’s Achilles heel app of choice to scroll your hours away… Take one sec to set up the app and break free from your social media addictions, your brain will thank you later.