Sixty hours.
That was the amount of time Matthew Vicenti ’27 spent on his phone the week before testing Pavlok, a wearable band designed to shock you when performing a habit you’re trying to break. Just seven days after having the device wrapped around his wrist, he saw a 54 percent decrease in weekly screentime average as well as an 85.7 percent reduction in TikTok and Instagram usage. His groupmates — Valentina Serrano ’27, Connor Lyons ’26, and Gavin Lin ’26 — used the same product and saw downward trends as well. The idea, notes Assistant Professor of Communication and Language Studies Jerrica Rowlett, Ph.D., is that the negative consequence for opening a social media app will deter users from engaging in an undesirable action.
For their experiment, undergrads automated the app to either shock them when they opened specific apps or if they surpassed their daily screen time limit. They also analyzed the device’s success in relation to course materials and how interpersonal and intrapersonal communication were altered during the experiment. Ultimately, the group determined that Pavlok broke the concept of habit loop and that gamification elements (such as awarding badges and competing against friends) added an appealing component to the device.
“The project’s goal was to allow students to experiment with realistic methods of curbing tech habits,” notes Rowlett. “Abstaining from technology is not only difficult, but also almost impossible for the modern college student. Yet, many express that they want to use their phones less.”
Rowlett started teaching Bryant’s “Impact of Digital Addiction on Social Interactions” course in the fall of 2024. In 2025, she applied for and received funding through the Office of the Provost’s Faculty Innovation Grants to purchase seven habit breaking devices and apps for students to experiment with in class. To understand tech addiction, undergrads first read Adam Alter’s Irresistible, which mixes media studies and behavioral psychology to unpack how tech designers have developed gadgetry in a way where people impulsively use it. With the book ending on ways to negate tech addiction, Rowlett then introduces the habit-breaking devices and apps.
Rowlett’s students presented data and screentime advice to faculty, staff, and peers in the Koffler Rotunda in the fall. In addition to Pavlok, undergrads tested the Bloom app, which requires users to scan an NFC keycard to a phone to access distracting apps; the Dumb Phone app, which creates a minimalist home screen that replaces colorful icons with simple text of your essential apps; BePresent, an app that allows you to set goals, block apps, and compete with others; the Methaphone, a clear, plastic block that mimics the size and feel of a real smartphone; The Brick, a device that temporarily removes distracting apps and notifications from your phone; and the Forest app, which uses gamification to reduce screentime.
“In past semesters, I have had students opt to turn off notifications or put their phones in grey scale, but doing a class wide project created deeper understanding. Additionally, I had several students tell me they did better in their other classes that week because they weren’t distracted by their phone while studying. Many that had apps opted to keep the app after the experiment because they helped them focus while working,” Rowlett says.
Aliah Whitten ’26, Jack Wagsteff ’26, and Michael Wetmore ’26 were tasked with testing the Forest app. Users set a timer for how long they’d like to be off their phone and, over that period, a tree would grow on their screen. If users stayed off their phone for the allotted time, their fully-grown tree would be added to a virtual forest, and they would collect coins; however, if a user went on their phone before meeting the goal, a dead tree would appear. Once individuals earned 2,500 coins, the company would plant one real tree.
The group expressed that digital addiction gets more relevant every day and learning how to deal with it is important. Finance major Michael Wetmore ’26 added that his sister likes to joke that he’s addicted to his phone. Wetmore didn’t think so until he took Rowlett’s course, started monitoring his screentime, and saw how much time he was spending on his phone.
“It made me more aware,” says Wetmore.
In addition to Rowlett, 2025-26 Faculty Innovation Grants recipients include Marketing Professor Stefanie Boyer, Ph.D., History, Literature, and the Arts Lecturer John Howard, Communication and Language Studies Assistant Professor Emi Kanemoto, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Finance Huan Kuang, Ph.D.