We check them hundreds of times a day, swiping, scrolling, and staring without meaning for hours, often forgetting what we just saw.
At Matter Neuroscience, we’ve seen undeniable clinical data: no modern behavior is as devastating to mental health as social media use. And many of us at Matter have personally felt the downsides of its addicting nature.
We’ve tried every tool to fix our addiction but nothing works. Screen time limits are too easy to ignore. Older flip phones are too limited. Lockboxes are too easy to give up on.
So we built something different.
We made a 6-Pound Phone Case. This started as a joke, but upon trial, we liked the results: significant decreases in screen time. It sounds dumb, but we think it’s actually a solution to phone addiction. (It’s still a little dumb.)
The Neuroscience
We’re wired for face-to-face connection, not endless scrolling. Our brains have 6 feel-good neurotransmitters, only 2 of which are easily activated by your phone (dopamine and serotonin). The other 4 (cannabinoids, testosterone, opioids, and oxytocin) are activated more easily IRL, and with other people.
And even dopamine and serotonin are more effective when activated IRL. The “happiness” we think we feel in our brain from our phones is often too fleeting to satisfy our brain’s needs. Instead, our brain gets caught in a continuous loop of craving in which we want positive satisfaction, but nothing we’re getting is sufficient for our brain, and just increases our cortisol (stress) levels over and over again.
Whether you’re 16 or 60, too much screen time starves your brain of the social neurotransmitters it craves. Basically, real life hits different (and much better.)
Why It Works
It’s heavy. At 6 pounds, your hands and arms physically get tired while using it. That fatigue reminds you to put the phone down. It’s a physical feedback loop against overuse, and it will tone your muscles.
It’s inconvenient. The case doesn’t fit in your pocket. You have to carry it in a bag like a laptop, or leave it in another room. That means fewer phantom notifications, fewer sidewalk swipes, and fewer brain rot sessions while pooping (and maybe less hemorrhoids).
It’s not easy to give up on. The case is not flexible – it’s 2 separate pieces that need to be screwed onto your phone with an Allen wrench. Taking it off isn’t impossible, but it’s just annoying enough to break the impulse to give up on it.
It keeps the tools you need. Maps, cameras, texts are all still there. There are no app restrictions, or time limits. Everything is just physically harder to use.
