Why a conversation instead of a block?
A guide to the idea behind Semo: at the moment you open an app, ask the person a question instead of shutting the door. It explains when this works, when it does not, and what we do not know.
Is a conversation better than a block for using my phone less?
It depends on you. A block stops you but invites a workaround; a conversation asks you to say why, which can break a habit without a fight. A block is better if you know you will always give in, or if someone else sets the rules. A conversation is better if blocks make you resentful and you turn them off. Semo is built on the second idea, and we have no published results yet.
What blocks do well
- They remove the choice. If you have a hard time resisting, that is a feature.
- They work for rules set by someone else, such as a parent.
- They need no thought at the moment of temptation.
Where blocks struggle
- A block you can turn off often gets turned off, usually at the worst moment.
- A block treats every opening the same. Checking one message and an hour of scrolling look identical.
- A block says no. It never asks what you actually needed.
What a conversation adds
- A pause with a question. "What are you here for?" turns an automatic tap into a choice.
- Your own words. The check-in can echo the reasons you gave when you set up, in your language rather than a slogan.
- Different answers for different moments. A quick reply from a friend can get a short pass; endless scrolling can get a nudge elsewhere.
What the evidence says, and does not
Short pauses before opening an app have some research behind them. For example, the developer of one sec co-authored a 2023 study reporting a 57% average drop in targeted app use over six weeks (reported by a review site; the authors are not independent of the app; we have not re-checked the paper). That is evidence for a pause, not for an AI conversation.
As of 19 October 2026 we have no published results for Semo. We do not know how well a conversation works compared with a pause or a block, and we will not claim it does.
What a conversation cannot do
- It cannot stop you. You can dismiss it. Use a strict blocker or Apple's Screen Time with a passcode if you need that.
- It involves an AI service reading what you type: see the privacy policy (draft).
- It is a self-help tool, not therapy or medical advice.