As someone that has struggled to find a healthy balance with social media for many years, I wanted something more effective than simple blocklists or screen time limits.
I came up with an adaptive router that runs on an SBC [1] to efficiently monitor and dynamically adjust traffic speeds on a home network to gently nudge users off of configured sites, with minimal or no client configuration required.
The goal is to get the benefit of these platforms (occasional surfing, ability to respond to messages, etc.) while avoiding doom scrolling and time-wasting. You are rewarded with quick responses to your initial accesses, while excessive use is discouraged with progressively slower responses.
In several weeks of use it has already proven effective, my partner and I have noticed that our dips into social media are shorter. The fact that the responses get noticeably slower is like a supportive tap on the shoulder to stop wasting time, rather than a screen time warning shaming you for your lack of discipline :)
[1] Currently testing on an Orange PI R1 Plus, but should theoretically work on any device with two network interfaces.
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