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Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

#71

Post by anteloper »

tedmiston wrote: post #65
TobyTheDog123 wrote: post #57

Wow. I didn't know Apple let apps have that level of restriction on other installed apps. Perhaps I'm behind on my iOS APIs. I'd be eager to learn more on what kind of parental-control/screen-time magic goes into this. This is really cool, like incredibly cool. Screen Time reminders just did not work for me, it was a no-brainer to just hit "Get more time" and put in my passcode, but this adds a lot more friction. Sti…

The biggest problem I experienced with Screen Time is that when an app is outside of its limits, push notifications from it do not get delivered. So enabling the feature caused me to end up missing out on timely push notifications. Sometimes the notifications during the downtime got delivered later and sometimes they just never appeared at all. This seems like a bug to me, or at best a very unintuitive side effect. I…

totally agree - exceptionally unintuitive side effect. we've been pushing on the apple support ecosystem to add the ability to "shield" apps without obstructing their notifications, and other developers have been piling on.

fingers crossed for WWDC23

Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

#72

Post by 542354234235 »

martingalex2 wrote: post #23

It is wholly interesting that such a tool is needed. We need a new generation motivated by self-control and at an early age be critical of how technology triggers dopamine responses. I would be interested in seeing clinical classification of app addictions as a real health issue that deserves treatment. The real answer is to put down the phone. We (in this industry) are all complicit in the creation and promulgation…

I would disagree. I don’t think it is on people to just be more “motivated by self-control”. I think it is an industry making a highly addictive product that needs to be properly regulated. Similar to regulating the tobacco industry in how much nicotine could be in cigarettes, the marketing to children, the restriction of the most addictive flavors, etc. The answer cannot just be “to put down the phone” the same as it wasn’t/isn’t just to put down the cigarette.

I think that digital devices/apps/etc. need left and right limits on addictive mechanisms like variable reinforcement schedules. Or maybe it is too late for that and the genie is out of the bottle. Maybe it is impossible to regulate, and big data and deep learning will allow apps to exploit deeper and deeper psychological mechanisms in our minds to highjack our attention until it is impossible to break out of it. The digital equivalent of fentanyl in a world were we evolved to handle opium poppy plants.

Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

#73

Post by ekanes »

anteloper wrote: post #12
anteloper wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a few ways! but the most succinct answer is that with clearspace, no learned behavior path can become a compulsive habit for quickly getting more scrolling. every configuration of screen time limits we've tried has ended with us learning the quickest behavioral path to more scrolling (ie: quickly tapping "5 more minutes", entering passcode, etc).

more tactically: 1. we hit you with friction every time you enter an app you want to moderate your engagement with. with screen time limits, as long as you're under your budget, you'll get through no problem. in time this means you learn that early in the day is the best time to use social apps. we think this is a second order failure. 2. we let you stack your progress over time with your streak, which seems to be a…

Love what you're building!

You mentioned to lukko above (lungy.app) that you might be interested in collabing, and then above you mention streaks... wanted to make sure you knew that with apps you can "call" other apps via shortcuts/urls and even get return data. At some point I'm hoping to work with a streaks app (rather than build it myself) etc etc.

Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

#75

Post by ekanes »

anteloper wrote: post #49
abpavel wrote: post #46

Truly Awesome! However "the website is not supported" is a dealbreaker for me. I do my doom scrolling through browsers, as the apps have already been restricted through screen time.

This is actually a bit of a misnomer at the moment, we need to update our messaging - but you can in fact restrict any websites you want. To do it, open clearspace and tap one of the apps you've already set up. Then click the "websites" section. You'll be able to associate domains there, so whenever that app is unlocked, those websites will be as well. Otherwise they're restricted. Hope this helps! Literally just rol…

I also doomscroll on a laptop. +1 for a MacOS version someday.

Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

#78

Post by eks391 »

breck wrote: post #27

My phone broke about a year ago and I never replaced it. That has made my life a lot better. More time to be in the moment with people and think. Highly recommend it. (I have an iPad Pro as you still need something that can run apps, but there's no risk of me lugging that thing around)

I have dreamed of ditching the phone but haven't because so many sites that require a phone number to make an account, and some that use that number to validate your identity. How do you get around this?

Re: Launch HN: Clearspace (YC W23) – Cut back on screen time

#80

Post by anteloper »

Fraaaank wrote: post #70

What is the difference between Clearspace and One Sec ( https://one-sec.app/ ) ?

a few differences!

- one tap to set up an app with us (rather than creating an automation in your shortcuts app)

- we can pull you out of an app at the end of the time you intended to use it for

- we support restricting websites

- we let you accumulate your progress over time via a streak, which is quite motivating (at least for me personally)

- we have a social accountability layer, via "teammates" who receive updates when you exceed your budgets or remove tracking for an app

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