During its WWDC 2018 keynote Apple announced new tools to help iPhone users cut down on screen time and improve their overall digital health.
However, many commentators argued iOS 12’s revamped Do Not Disturb feature and the new Screen Time features don’t go far enough in tackling iPhone addiction.
Enter Conan (comedian talk show host O’Brien, not ‘The Barbarian’) and the iPhone Basic. The make-believe phone has a novel way of reducing screen time… by getting rid of the display completely.
The parody commercial showcases a device with no screen, buttons other features, which will finally enable users to “get back to your life.”
Related: iOS 12
The mock ad, which appears to deploy some stock footage of people with active and enjoyable lifestyles free from distraction, ends with the tagline “We release you.”
Conan’s humorous parody dropped less just one day after Apple sought to address concerns over how much time we’re spending on our mobile devices within iOS 12.
“Apps beg us to use our phone when we should be doing something else,” Apple’s SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi said. “Some of us, we might not recognise how distracted we’ve become.”
The updated Do Not Disturb feature will hide notifications during bedtime, while also adding enabling users to group notifications by app. Users will also be able to keep notifications from appearing on the lock screen, sending them directly to the Notification Centre.
Meanwhile, the Screen Time app will deliver weekly activity summaries, while pointing out potentially unhealthy app usage and phone behaviour. There’s also an App Limits tool, which enables users to set themselves a limit for individual applications.
Do you think tech firms are working hard enough to limit our screen time? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
