Could ‘Bricking’ my phone make me feel something?

When I woke up this morning, and the morning before that, I held my phone up to a small grey square on the top right corner of my fridge that reads “Brick”. My phone vibrated ever so slightly and, once again, I had access to all my apps. But it wasn’t always like this; I didn’t always feel the need for a physical object that blocks me from using TikTok and Instagram, effectively putting my social media use on a time-out. I remember when my life was mostly free from screens – when I’d look around instead of down at my phone while waiting for something or someone – and Brick promises the power to bring that back. 

Brick is an app-blocking device created by two young founders, Zach Nasgowitz and TJ Driver, in 2023, from a personal need. “Our phones were getting in the way of our lives, rather than enhancing them,” they say. “We believe life is better when technology serves us, not the other way around.” The simple, physical object (which can be used by multiple devices) is intended to be used as a way to take back control of your smartphone use and reclaim your time. It’s a mission I became invested in once I first Googled “Brick”, after initially coming across the device from a TikTok of a girl who casually said she “un-Bricked” her phone to post the video.

Before using Brick, I wasn’t entirely addicted to my phone. I’m someone who can easily turn my phone over during dinner to be present with friends, or switch it off during a movie, but my screen time was still higher than I’d like. My main issue was opening TikTok habitually when I woke up, in between moments, like waiting for the train, or even when I’d wake up in the middle of the night and couldn’t fall back to sleep. I have a daily limit on my phone for just one hour across all social apps, but I’d often ignore the notification. It was too easy to bypass in a haze. I ordered a Brick in an attempt to cut that default scrolling motion, with the hope that I’d simply be present instead. 

My Brick arrived in a square black box that, once opened, read: “Your phone is about to become a tool again”. I couldn’t wait. I downloaded the app, chose which “distractions” to block (TikTok, Instagram and X) and stuck the Brick out of the way and in the kitchen. My idea was this: I’d Brick my phone after work while making dinner, and then un-Brick it again before I head out for the day. And that’s exactly what I proceeded to do for the next week. 

On the first day, I couldn’t get enough of Bricking my phone. I also couldn’t get enough of saying things like “I Bricked it” or “I’m Bricked up” (it is a fun name). The only time I actually un-Bricked my phone that day was to post something. After a brief moment of social media validation, I Bricked it again. When I woke the next morning, I instinctively grabbed my phone before remembering that I had no access to social media. I read the news and went on Substack before getting up.

I quickly learned that social media habits become so ingrained in our systems that you initially can go through a weird period of “looking at things on my phone” withdrawals when starting to use Brick. I started checking my bank balance multiple times a day. I was scrolling through The Real Real and Depop more than ever, just to feel something. This lasted for two days max, while my fingers adjusted, until I gave up trying to disappear into my phone. It was working. Eventually, I was letting my mind wander in the (albeit brief) spare moments of my day, and even replying to my family group chat more.

The physical element of Brick feels important because it’s rather annoying to run to the kitchen at 3am just to open TikTok. The embarrassment of that kept me from considering that as an option. Instead, on the third day, I actually left the house without un-Bricking my phone. I noticed this on my train to work and accepted my entirely social media-free day. When I got home, I didn’t bother un-Bricking it. I’m perhaps Brick’s perfect customer in the fact that I will often forget my phone exists if it’s not in my immediate vicinity. I began to forget I have social media accounts at all, and played a fun game of “how long can I keep my phone Bricked for?” My current max is 25 hours and ten minutes. 

Still, there were some moments when I needed to open TikTok for work or check a social media flyer for a party. Brick works for me, but it might not work for everyone. I enjoy opening up access to social media for an intentional purpose, rather than a habit, but it becomes tricky when your Brick is at home, but you are outside. On the seventh night, I went to show my friend someone’s art. “Your phone is currently Bricked”, it read as I opened Instagram. Instead, I simply described the paintings the old-fashioned way (a concept), and we had a whole conversation about what Brick is. Now, she wants to try it. 

Nasgowitz and Driver say they’ve already seen a wide spectrum of people buy a Brick, from students and parents to young professionals and executives. “But what moves us most is what Brick represents: people reclaiming their time and attention,” they say. And it is true that what’s most powerful about Brick might also be the most simple: It gets you thinking about your phone use differently. There is, admittedly, something dystopian about paying $59 to essentially jail the devices that we were once so excited for. But considering that the average adult spends 88 days a year glued to their phone, to stop scrolling and return to stillness is something many of us are yearning to do, in one way or another. After over a week of Brick, I can say it’s a lifestyle I hope to continue. 

Brick can also be a mindset. Like the other night, when I was on my un-Bricked phone before dinner, a sponsored Brick review came up on my screen saying, “I’m addicted to Bricking”. It immediately brought me back into my body. What was I even scrolling and searching for? I held the top of my phone up to my Brick for the now familiarly satisfying feeling.