Rethinking Screen Time: The Push for Device Divergence and Calm Technology

In an opinion piece from It's Nice That's Insights team, Rima Sabina Aouf argues that the tech industry's response to smartphone addiction—smart glasses—may not solve the underlying problems. While Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg have proposed AI-focused eyewear as the next form factor, Aouf contends that these devices replicate or intensify issues rooted in the attention economy and maximal data exploitation. She highlights a growing movement towards device divergence, especially among Gen Z, with products like the Kodak Charmera and Cash App's payment wand. The piece also cites Swedish brands Atonemo and Teenage Engineering for their playful, functional hardware, and mentions calm technology devices like the Light Phone and reMarkable tablet. Aouf emphasizes that hardware choices must be accompanied by addressing systemic power structures, pointing to DIY cyberdeck builders and companies like Framework and Punkt as examples of more ethical approaches. She concludes that the next decade will bring diversity and experimentation, with opportunities for brands that respect users.