Observed Signal · May 25, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: t3n · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Author Reduces Screen Time with One Sec App
A German t3n article describes a personal experiment using the One Sec app to reduce smartphone and tablet screen time and 'brainrot' symptoms. The author cites research on harms from excessive screen use and quotes psychotherapist Daniel Wagner on the importance of differentiating types of screen activity. One Sec, developed by Frederik Riedel, inserts short interventions (e.g., breathing exercises, haptic or task-based delays) before opening apps or sites. A study involving the University of Heidelberg and the Max‑Planck‑Institut reported that social‑media use fell by an average of 57% among 280 participants over six weeks. The app offers browser extensions and cross‑device clients; iPhone setup requires iOS Shortcuts and the free tier limits one app lock, with premium at €15/year. The author reduced iPhone screen time from ~5.5 to just over 3 hours daily during the trial.
Consumer behaviour experiment with a niche app has limited direct impact on the broader AdTech industry; notable only as an example of tools that can reduce social‑media attention and potentially affect ad impressions at small scale.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- One Sec is an app that interposes short interventions before opening undesired apps or websites.
- Developer Frederik Riedel conducted a study with the University of Heidelberg and the Max‑Planck‑Institut involving 280 participants; social media usage fell by an average of 57% over six weeks.
- One Sec provides desktop, tablet and browser‑extension clients for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge.
- On iPhone the app requires Shortcuts automation for full functionality; the free setup allows locking only one app, premium subscription costs €15 per year after a one‑week trial.
- The article author reduced iPhone average screen time from about 5.5 hours to slightly over 3 hours while using One Sec.
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