New device helps users combat phone addiction
Sammy Mousa, a 26-year-old law student from Hyde Park, uses a device called Brick to manage his screen time. The device, invented in early 2023, locks users out of certain apps until they tap their phone on it again, effectively reducing distractions during critical tasks.
Founders created Brick to solve personal issues
Brick was developed by childhood friends TJ Driver and Zach Nasgowitz, both 26 and 27 years old, respectively. They initially created the device in Nasgowitz’s basement in Milwaukee and later moved the startup to Chicago in 2024 after it gained popularity. The company now employs around 40 staff members, all of whom are users of the product.
Driver explained that the idea stemmed from their own struggles with productivity, stating, “We’d always kind of find ourselves back in these habit loops that we didn’t love.” He noted that existing solutions, like Apple’s screen time limits, were ineffective for them. The concept behind Brick is to introduce “physical friction” by placing the device away from easy reach, which helps users resist the urge to return to time-wasting apps.
Users share experiences with Brick
Peter Hohman, a 32-year-old from Villa Park, keeps his Brick in his car and finds that the effort required to retrieve it often deters him from unnecessary phone use. He expressed concerns about spending too much time on screens, saying, “I don’t think life is meant to be spent scrolling on a screen for, you know, a third of it.”
Mousa has been using Brick for two years and appreciates its effectiveness in helping him focus on studying. He mentioned that the device has made it easier to start reading or working on projects instead of defaulting to scrolling through social media.
What Brick is and how it works
Brick is a small, magnetic device that users place in a location away from their phone, such as on a refrigerator. When a user taps their phone on Brick, it locks them out of selected apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube until they tap again. The accompanying app allows users to customize which apps to block and set different modes for various activities, such as work or sleep.
The creators of Brick aim to provide a balanced approach to smartphone use, allowing users to enjoy the benefits of technology while minimizing its distractions. Driver emphasized, “We are very positive around tech. Our smartphones are this amazing tool.”
