The digital detox ‘Brick’ trend that promises to fix your scrolling habit
Sunday, 29 March 2026
OPINION: I’m a procrastinator. Throw an approaching deadline or important task my way and more often than not I’ll pause for a “quick” scroll on social media or YouTube as background noise while I search for creative inspiration.
Enter the void of unproductive nothingness. I become deeply engrossed in random animal videos, recipe reels of meals I’ll never cook or vitriolic Instagram comments vaguely related to a drama or topic I’m not remotely interested in. And, somehow, there’s always a Taylor Swift ear worm. The algorithm consistently picks me for a Swiftie.
But a small, grey, magnetic device may hold the solution to all my Opalite-filled doom-scrolling nightmares. Phone in hand, I hold the button that confirms yes, I want to brick my device, and watch all my time-wasting apps fade into a forbidden dimness.
So long, procrastination. I’m about to master the art of productivity.
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The trend
You’ve probably heard about the digital detox trend. The hashtag, ironically enough, has more than 80,000 posts on TikTok. The idea of “dumb” or “feature” phones feels like it’s become cool enough to make me nostalgic about my Alcatel One Touch from the 90s. The idea, rooted in the concept of improved mental health, is to give ourselves a break from the non-stop connectivity of social media, apps and technology at our fingertips. Even King Charles jumped on board the trend and tossed the idea of digital detox to “renew our souls” in his Christmas message last year.
Still, ditching phone technology completely and swapping out the iPhone for a will-probably-rule-the-post-apocalyptic-earth-with-the-cockroaches invincible Nokia would make it pretty damn inconvenient to actually thrive in the current pre-apocalyptic, tech-ruled society.
For work alone I need access to things like email, LinkedIn, Slack, various messaging services like Signal and even Reddit. Having them available on my phone isn’t vital, but it’s handy. All my reward cards are there, too. And Apple Pay is a godsend when you leave the wallet at home.
Less helpful, though, are the multiple apps designed to lure me into an addictive stream of quick-fire videos, curated rage or AI fails. I certainly don’t need push notifications counting down the next activewear sale or alerting me that someone posted something I might like (but probably won’t) on Threads.
So when my algorithm randomly, mid-scroll, delivered me an ad for Brick, a device you scan on your phone that lets you customise what apps you want bricked and when, the company offered me the chance to trial one.
The cool thing about Brick is you can’t turn it off on a whim without having the actual Brick in hand. So if you keep it somewhere permanent in the house, those few extra steps may have you stopping to consider whether you really do need to check in on who is making vile, hateful messages on your favourite football team’s socials just because it’s half time and they’re losing.
What the experts say
To get the lowdown on the benefits of taking a break from the digital world, I spoke to Alex Beattie, senior lecturer in Information Management at Victoria University of Wellington. Through his research, he found the main reported benefit from people switching off was simply “space away from the depressing, the intense, the happy, the outrageous” that is the modern internet.
“World news, politics, climate change, economics or whatever, can excite or outrage or depress people,” he says.
“Disconnecting gives you space from that.”
Beattie says the mental-health aspect is often what motivates people to take a digital break and is also, “what gives them almost an immediate benefit”.
While disconnecting entirely wouldn’t be practical for many of us, Beatie says allowing yourself to detox for a length of time “makes you aware of your relationship” with socials and the online world, and lets you consider whether you’re comfortable with your level of connectivity.
Beattie also uses a Brick with his own phone. For him, he likes the “ritual” aspect. When he comes home, he immediately bricks his phone to “family mode”. Emails, YouTube and Reddit are among the inaccessible apps. If he wants to unblock them, it requires physical steps to access his Brick.
So for those keen to take the digital detox route? Beattie recommends making yourself accountable by switching off with someone else, and creating new rituals. Maybe try replacing the habitual grab of the device to relax at the end of the workday with making a cup of tea, going for a stroll or grabbing a book.
The experience
I begin my Brick experiment fairly confident (and feeling a little morally superior). I’m a child of the 80s after all. Back in my day we used paper maps to walk uphill three miles in the snow in both directions to check our bank balance at the branch.
Within a couple of hours, my phone’s in hand. I mindlessly open my banking and MetService apps. I don’t need either of them. But they’re not blocked and it appears the habit is strong here. A promising start.
I’m depressingly surprised by just how often, whether stuck on a sentence, bored of a TV show or waking up unexpectedly during the night, I grab the phone.
Brick allows you to set up various schedules and modes. So I allow access to apps I need to do my job during the workday, ensure “family time” culls email and time-wasting apps. I block everything but calls and texts for sleep mode. I’ve made the sojourn to the office to unbrick a few times, but the simple act of it being conscious, rather than simply instinctive, immediately makes the habit feel less mindless.
I haven’t missed anything of real value, sans a couple of Punch the monkey updates. But I have added a few more healthy rituals to my days. My hourly monitor breaks now feature more short walks or hangs with the cat in the sun. Less digital notification noise means I’m less distracted or anxious. I’ve finally started enjoying books I told myself I didn’t have time to read. I’ve actually found myself engrossed in good films rather than half paying attention. And daily breaks from nasty comments from strangers on the internet about other strangers on the internet are refreshing.
Sure, I’m still mindlessly scrolling, but I’m doing it a little less.
The verdict
My Brick did make me very conscious of the digital noise pervading my days. And I’m far more aware of just how often I reach for socials out of pure habit. What my Brick did not do is cure my procrastination.
But I can proudly say my office, kitchen and wardrobe have looked incredibly organised lately.
And if you’re gonna procrastinate, you might as well be productive about it, right?