Digital Detox Made Easy with the Touch Grass App
Many of us spend hours scrolling through our phones each day—often 3 to 4 hours or even more. This adds up to a staggering 50 days each year spent staring at screens! Breaking free from this habit can be tough, but there’s a new app called Touch Grass that aims to help users reconnect with the outside world.
This innovative app, which we proudly name our App of the Year, takes a unique approach to combat what some call “doomscrolling.” For those who find it hard to put their phones down, this app has a system that could cost them money if they don’t step outside.
The term “Touch Grass” is a catchy phrase often used online, encouraging people who are too engaged in virtual drama to take a break and get outdoors. The app takes this idea to heart.
How Touch Grass Works
Instead of competing for your attention like most apps, Touch Grass encourages you to interact with nature. Here’s how it functions:
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Set Limits: You select which apps you use too much, whether it’s TikTok or games, and decide how much time you want to spend on them, like 30 minutes.
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Time Countdown: When you reach your limit, the app locks you out and prompts you to take a break.
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Get Outside: To unlock the app for more time, you need to physically go outside and take a picture of your hand touching real grass. Screenshots or photos of houseplants won’t work, so there’s no cheating!
The app does allow one free “skip” per month for when going outside isn’t possible. However, if you want more skips, you’ll need to pay, and that amount is up to you.
A Win-Win for Users and the Environment
The good news is that the money spent on those extra skips goes towards a great cause—planting trees in areas that need them. This makes it a guilt-free way to gain back some screen time while also helping the environment.
Touch Grass is free to download and initially supports tracking two apps. Currently available for iPhone users, Android users can sign up for a waiting list to get notified when it launches on their platform.
If you’re looking to break the cycle of endless scrolling and improve your mental health by spending more time outdoors, giving the Touch Grass app a try could be a great step!
