Inheriting a more neurodivergent leaning mind, I had various struggles with my creativity, productivity, and internet usage.
Using the phone is another story, but the laptop browser isn't that much different. There's this subtle moment before you enter the "scroll-space."
It's not a shout, a chime; it's a soft thought bubble that floats away as your fingers and brain decide for you. I've been in that space way too many times.
What seems like an education or interesting pause to "check on something" turned into long wandering drifts. The browser takes me into the ocean, and I become very small.
So I decided to put a hand on the rudder, a get a little bit more control back.
I didn't want a harsh blocker or an obstructive limiter to my usage, because that never worked for me. I wanted a proactive support system that would work with my brain, not against it.
Something that gives me a gentle signal to remind me of a "greater use of time" and help me get back on the "right" path for me.
So I built one.
What My Chrome Extension Does
It idles and watches my browser for sites that it knows time likes to disappear in; after a short, intentional delay set out by me, it creates a soft intervention in my behavior loop.
In a way, it simply copies the best of psychology implemented in social media to pattern interrupt and keep you stuck. But it uses it to do the opposite, to help me be unstuck.
If it's YouTube, it mutes the noise, puts the video on pause, and creates a moment of presence for me with an overlay. Using what I believe to be a great way to get back into flow, and that's breathing.
It gives me some breathing room, some time between my next action and my intention. Seconds to breathe. Seconds to find out why I am using my browser.
Followed by a clean decision to either continue or close my tab/s.
The system is proactive because it's not judgmental, and it's time-aware.
It favors the simplicity of a moment to create a nudge in the right direction.
It has a simple analytics system that allows me to track if I am getting more focused or more distracted, and if I want to visualize my browser use.
On websites, where I would open many tabs for later, it gives me the option to save a summary of those tabs and rid myself of their burden. This prevents me from tricking myself into the "Fear of Missing Out".
I no longer feel like I forget this, it would be a waste. Fancy titles meant to grab attention, videos that provide little substance besides entertainment, are handled wisely.
But that's not all, I've made it categorically aware as well as customizable if I notice some sites are more "bad" for me than others.
Why This Work for Me
Because it interrupts the interruption, not myself. As far as the brain goes, it simply doesn't care.
But the individuum, the person behind the body and brain, me has greater pursuits to follow. It's easy to get distracted.
When I heed the interruption, I get back time in spades. Streaks of proactivity emerge.
The noise of the useless web recedes in the background. I don't feel policed, restricted.
The point of this extension is not for me to reduce internet usage; it's to help me use the internet for what I intend to use it for.
The cold turkey approach didn't help; it created more resistance.
Doing nothing also didn't help much.
But my extension landed somewhere in the middle, creating just enough friction without being too overbearing.
Safety, Privacy, and Decision Engines
When I was asked by some of my friends what the extension was, I quickly saw the potential of it being useful for others.
So I started to work on a public-oriented prototype. I built it with a very simple rule in mind.
The extension shouldn't know any more than it needs, and everything that it knows should stay with the user.
I designed it to have:
The app doesn't call any base when you're browsing. Events are logged locally for your awareness.
All of these changes took quite a bit of time. Not to mention, UI/UX was also somewhat of a challenge.
Time was needed not just for the function, but for the extension's behavior. Each default, each permission, and each pathway that could affect privacy or security was examined and removed.
From a Personal Tool to A Shareable Product
Let's get this straight, I built this for myself.
I didn't go on a bender trying to figure out the best marketing, the best copywriting, or tricks to make it the best possible product for a niche audience.
My friends who had similar tug-of-war battles with their attention saw it and asked for it.
After which, I had to ask myself: if I share this with others, how do I do it the right way?
Doing it right meant a lot of things at the time.
It meant:
Lots of time and a good amount of money were spent on ongoing development, security, and infrastructure. If I want to proactively work on this tool for others to be trustworthy and stable, it has to be sustainable.
Why Freemium Seems Right
Even though the Chrome extension IP is hard to retain, because anyone who wants to steal it can. I think my transparency and personal story will help this extension stand on its own.
The core will remain free. This includes:
But the paid tier that will fund the cost-operating parts and support my work will be:
Unlike social media, this extension is not focused on monetizing your attention or selling your data. That would be too easy to implement and silly to do.
I want to keep my promise to myself, and building for privacy takes longer.
Building for safety is even slower. I'd rather keep it honest and small than compromise other people.
What's Going to Happen Net
As I already do, I will keep using it in my browser daily, tuning up and finishing up the edges until it is fully seamless and does what it must do.
When it's fully ready for public use, I'll share an early version to collect feedback.
If somebody finds it useful enough to interrupt their poor internet habits and help get back on track, that would be a real success for me.
If you're reading this and would like to try it out, keep an eye out. I'll post a link soonish.
Until then, remember that between your doomscrolling and your better use of the browser, there is a pause. And in that moment, you can change your behavior.
To go from drifting in the ocean to steering your ship in a better direction.