Chapter 1
The eighteen billion dollar wake up call
Chapter 2
The science of the infinite loop
Chapter 3
Designing the anti scroll
Chapter 4
The rise of minimalist tech
Ch 4 · The rise of minimalist tech
futura The Business of Boredom
We pay for friction on the screen (oh-oh) To break the scroll on our machine (yeah yeah)
futura This minimalist clamshell device features a physical keypad and no social media to help users resist the attention economy.
futura Minimalist launchers like Before Launcher replace colorful app grids with plain text lists.
Quiz
By removing colorful app icons, what subconscious trigger do minimalist launchers help eliminate?
Fun Fact
Color triggers: Tech companies hire color specialists to design the exact shade of red used in notification bubbles because it triggers our brain's survival instincts.
Quiz
By what percentage range does switching your phone to grayscale typically reduce screen time?
Quiz
Under which smartphone settings menu can you typically find the option to enable grayscale?
Glossary
dumbphone (noun)
A basic mobile phone that lacks advanced computing capability and internet connectivity. By 2026, sales of basic devices like the Nokia 2660 Flip surged among distraction-weary consumers.
A basic mobile phone that lacks advanced computing capability and internet connectivity. By 2026, sales of basic devices like the Nokia 2660 Flip surged among distraction-weary consumers.
Quiz
As infinite scrolling loses value, what business model are modern apps increasingly adopting?