What was the problem?
Social media is addictive. I’d open a site to do one specific thing, like answer a message, and get pulled in. Then I’d find myself back on the same site a few minutes later, again and again. I had already caught up. It was habit.
What was the idea?
Choose times to check social media, like lunch or the evening, and check each site once. Going back to a site I’ve already checked gets a gentle pause, not a block, so I notice the habit but can still continue when I have a reason.
What did I build?
I built it as a Chrome extension, because that’s where I check these sites, and it can step in the moment a site opens. It’s written in React. Settings and visits stay in Chrome, with no server and no account, so my browsing never leaves my computer. Each new version goes to the Chrome Web Store.
What happened?
I use it every day. Before I published it, I used it for two weeks, to make sure I would actually find value in it. I changed it as I went. An earlier version made me wait 30 seconds, and offered a faster “continue for work” option. I took it even when it wasn’t work, because it was faster, so I removed both. Now there’s one button, “Continue intentionally”, and the toolbar badge turns into a green check once I’ve caught up.
Then I published it for free on the Chrome Web Store. I still use it, and whenever I find something to improve, I change it and ship a new version.