The negative effects of social media are widely recognized, with platforms like Meta, YouTube, and TikTok now facing legal action for their addictive nature. Australia has even banned social media for teens under 16, and other countries are considering similar restrictions. It’s no secret that spending too much time on social media can lead to unproductive doomscrolling.
Enter Pankaj Tanwar, a developer who has created a Chrome extension that requires users to scream at their computer in order to unblock social media sites. Described as a “productivity tool that blocks social media websites and makes you say embarrassing things to unlock them,” the extension offers a unique approach to curbing online distractions.
Innovative Solution
To unlock blocked sites, users must reach a certain loudness threshold while screaming phrases like “I am a loser.” The intensity of the scream determines how long the site will be accessible. This unique method aims to help students, remote workers, and anyone prone to distractions regain valuable time lost to social media browsing.
I tried. I failed.
The open-source tool defaults to blocking X, Instagram, and Facebook, but users can easily add other sites to the blocklist. The extension is designed to combat mindless browsing habits that can derail productivity.
Personal Experience
Once installed, the extension provides a full-screen blocker whenever users attempt to access blocked sites. A visualizer displays the loudness levels of the scream, along with a timer indicating the duration for which the sites will be unlocked.
Similar projects, like Rhys Kentish’s “Touch Grass” app, encourage users to take a physical break by touching grass and capturing a photo as proof to unlock distracting apps on their phones.
Personally, I find tools like “Scream to Unlock” essential. While I use social media for research and news, I often fall into the trap of aimless scrolling. This unique approach forces me to pause and reconsider my online habits, albeit without waking up my cat with loud screams.
