Can Brick help you stop doomscrolling?

An 'inter-review' with...me!

You’re reading Creativity Under Capitalism, a free biweekly newsletter about reclaiming and sustaining creative joy under tricky socioeconomic circumstances. I’m Adrianna, a journalist and creative writer based in Phoenix, AZ.

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We’re back with another inter-review of a bespoke distraction-busting device—and this one’s with me!

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of an inter-review, it’s a silly (but, dare I say, convenient) format that combines the interview with the ever-ubiquitous product review. Rather than simply throwing out blocks of text that expound on the benefits and disadvantages of, say, the Freewrite Alpha, I ask someone questions about their experience using that device, and their answers help you determine whether it’s right for you.

This inter-review is all about Brick, a device you may have seen advertised on social media. And it’s with me, because I happened to buy Brick shortly before publishing Creativity Under Capitalism’s first inter-review.

But first…what is Brick?

Brick is a little magnetic square aimed at helping you reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone. Each square contains an NFC tag, a passive chip that activates when a paired device comes in contact with it. To set it up, you tap Brick with your phone, pairing the two devices. From there on out, tapping Brick will block or unblock sets of apps that you determine within the Brick app. You cannot end a Brick session (i.e. unblock your blocked apps) without physically tapping your phone against the Brick, save for five “emergency unbricks” that, once you use them up, cannot be restored.

Now that you know what Brick is, let’s jump into the review!

Adrianna: How long have you had Brick, and what drew you to it in the first place?

Also Adrianna: Ironically, I'd received several ads for Brick (all while doomscrolling) before ultimately deciding to buy it. At the time, I was skeptical; I figured it was a smartphone user's responsibility to set healthier boundaries with their device, not a gadget’s job to set those boundaries for them. (After all, capitalism is all about selling us solutions to problems it created.)

But then I started noticing how frequently I opened distracting, time-sucking apps and websites—Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, and Substack—without really thinking about it first. When I was packing for Orion Magazine's Environmental Writers' Summer Workshop this June, I realized that a tool like Brick might help me take full advantage of the week-long retreat by eliminating phone-based distractions. At minimum, the trip offered a good opportunity to try out Brick and write an honest review. So I bought the device online and had it shipped to the Omega Institute, where the retreat took place, and was lucky that it arrived on the first day.

I used Brick sparingly for the first month or two. I'd been off Instagram since January, which made it relatively easy to avoid wasting my time on my phone; I occasionally squandered some time on Reddit (in my browser) and Tumblr, but it was nothing like being sucked into "true" social media, with all its manipulative language and algorithms. This changed when I signed a publishing deal for my debut novella in August, and I realized that I'd finally have to start marketing myself as an author—including on Instagram. (Boo, hiss, shudder, tomato, etc.)

How much did you pay for Brick?

I paid $53.10 (10% off $59 using the promo code WELCOME10) plus $20 express shipping via Brick's website, since I decided I wanted it just a couple days before the retreat began. At this time, it seems you can only purchase Brick through the website or secondhand; e-commerce retailers don't carry it.

How do you use Brick?

I keep Brick on my fridge. Because my kitchen is on the middle floor of a three-story townhouse (where my office is on the first floor and my bedroom on the third), I find that this is the perfect spot: I'm lazy and don't want to walk up or down the stairs, so if I'm working or reading in bed, I won't get up to unbrick my phone.

I also switch between three different Brick modes depending on my needs. The first, which I call "Life," only blocks Instagram. I use this mode pretty much all the time, as I'm trying to keep my Instagram use super intentional; I only unbrick when I'm posting something or I want to see what pastries my favorite coffee truck is carrying that morning. (Their strawberry cream cheese scone unfortunately has a chokehold on me.) "Mental Health" blocks Instagram, email (I compulsively check my email when I'm anxious), and Firefox (where I visit Reddit and Substack); I use this one when I'm overwhelmed by the news or feel like I'm looking at my phone too much. "Writing" blocks everything but the dumbphone essentials: calls, texts, calculator, camera, and so on.

What is the device's battery life like?

RFC chips—the technology Brick is based on—are 100% passive, which means they don't need a battery! You don't have to charge Brick.

What do you love about Brick?

The advantage of Brick over native screen time features or time-saving apps is that unblocking blocked apps is much harder than guiltily tapping a button on your screen. You only get one physical Brick device, so unless you carry it around with you (which would defeat the whole purpose), there’s a great deal of friction whenever you want to unbrick. This means if I'm working and I attempt to check Instagram, I always shrug it off and go back to my work instead of caving to Mark Zuckerberg's ultimate demand, which is to waste my one wild and precious life watching endless Reels that misuse the term "POV."

I also love that the Brick app has a schedule option. I don't use it much, as my schedule varies from day to day, but I appreciate that I could automatically block certain apps on a consistent basis without having to visit my fridge first.

What do you dislike about Brick?

The app's user interface can be a little clunky, but it's definitely improved in just the few months since I bought Brick. I also wish Brick could block individual websites within Firefox, not just the phone's native browser (Safari, in my case), as this would prevent me from having to block all of Firefox whenever I want to avoid Reddit and the news.

Do you feel that you can focus more easily with Brick?

Sort of. Focusing and reducing distractions are two different things, and I certainly feel that Brick helps me with the latter. I'll admit that for the first few days of keeping go-to apps bricked, there's a sense of panic that has me frantically opening second-choice apps like Weather and Photos in search of a dopamine hit, but that eventually fades. If anything, those moments of panic are eye-opening. None of us should be that dependent on social media.

Beyond making it impossible for me to doomscroll at certain times, though, shaping my ability to focus isn't Brick's responsibility. It's on me to reinforce positive habits and exercise some degree of discipline, which includes making it clear to my social circle that creating is important to me, embracing my creative seasons, celebrating my wins, and building routines that help me get into the artistic mindset.

If a friend told you they were struggling to put their phone down and could afford Brick, would you recommend it to them? What tips would you give them if they purchased it?

Absolutely! Especially right now, when the world feels absolutely chaotic and there’s an endless amount of terrible news to scroll through, I’ve found Brick to be a helpful tool in terms of my mental health and my creative practice. For anyone else who tends to open certain apps/sites by muscle memory alone, Brick could be similarly useful.

My #1 tip would be to keep Brick in an inconvenient place to avoid unbricking whenever you feel that compulsive itch to check social media. Maybe you don't have stairs to use to your advantage, but can you keep Brick in your car? On the top shelf of a messy closet? At the bottom of a deep freezer?! (Maybe ask the Brick team first whether that one is safe to do.)

One other thing…

This is not a sponsored issue; I purchased Brick with my own money, and the team has no idea I’ve written this review. However, like anyone else who purchases Brick directly from the Brick website, I have a referral link that will give you $10 off and give me $10 back. So, if you decide to purchase Brick—or you tell a friend about it—consider using that link for a discount and to buy me an overpriced latte!