Techs building tech to escape tech

A friend and I were discussing the topic of staying mindful in the wild, virtual/real-life, hybrid world we inhabit today, when they said:

“Hang on, are we designing tech to help us avoid tech? How have we come to this?”

Their comment was prompted particularly by the release of Google’s Focus Mode for Android and Apple’s ‘Focus’ for iOS. Both companies’ features follow the growing trend of more ‘mindful’ tech tools that help people engage in activities free from device-driven distraction.

Where is the line between the ‘good’ tech that helps us and the ‘bad’ tech that we need to be protected from?

Our individual approaches to the tech we use have a significant impact on how it affects us – for better or worse. So if utilising these focus features helps someone be more intentional with their tech use, then I say go for it – make it work for you.