Our smartphones control our lives. It's no secret that most of us are completely addicted to staring at small devices for hours every day, absentmindedly scrolling through updates on social media and the latest apps, or playing stupid games. But recently, more and more people are discovering a simple and effective way to break this cycle: a grayscale color filter, which can be activated from the smartphone's accessibility menu.
This option makes the entire phone interface – menus, notifications, apps, and even photos and videos – black and white. Although at first glance this seems like a strange screen glitch and a return to the distant past of the days of monochrome TVs, there are good reasons to turn on this feature, as Forefront tells us:
Turn off visual stimulation
Colors play a significant role in capturing our attention and activating the reward system in our brains, which addicts us to the screen. By moving to grayscale, we remove the visual stimuli that make apps and content so appealing. Without the vibrant colors, all those Instagram and Facebook updates, games and even news videos lose their immense appeal.
Break the habit loop
Because addiction is driven by the leg loop, in which a cue—usually a red alert—triggers an urge to click to check what's new, grayscale mode disrupts that loop by preventing the hormonal response to the color red (or any other glowing color of an alert). When the screen is colorless, the brain receives less positive reinforcement, which reduces the desire to scroll mindlessly or engage in addictive behaviors.
Increased awareness
Grayscale mode brings awareness to our phone usage patterns. Without the distraction of the spectacular colors that stimulate addictive hormones, we pay more active attention to the time we spend on our devices. This increased awareness can lead to a more informed choice of when to use a smartphone, and when to leave it upside down on the desk, or in the bag, or in your pocket.
Improved focus and productivity
Even when we do choose to continue using the device, the lack of colors minimizes screen distractions, allowing us to focus on the content that matters most. Whether it's reading an article, working on a task, or participating in meaningful conversations, Grayscale mode helps us stay focused and increases productivity by reducing the temptation to switch between apps or get lost scrolling endlessly.
Better sleep quality
The blue light emitted from smartphone screens can disrupt sleep patterns. Although today every phone offers a "blue light filter" that makes the content look reddish in the evening to encourage the secretion of hormones that prepare the body for sleep, not everyone uses it. Gray mode reduces blue light in another way, also contributing to healthier sleep.
To turn on the color filter, go to the accessibility menu on your smartphone. On iPhone, select Text and Display Size, Color Filters, turn on the switch, and then select Grayscale. On Android devices such as Galaxy, find the option "Improve visibility", "Color matching", turn on the top switch and select "Grayscale".
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