The idea was to put a real-world limit on a digital product. The shop shuts. The pub shuts. The gym shuts (well, not the 24-hour ones). Apps never do, because nobody’s incentive says they should.
Two years after this mockup, in August 2026, Meta settled a case over how addictive its products are for children. $17 billion, and among the changes it has to make: teens blocked from the apps overnight by default, a two-hour daily cap, notifications off during school hours (source).
Interesting how it got to this. Chase engagement with no ceiling on it and you eventually run into reality, and reality comes as lawsuits, fines and serious reputational damage. Set the limits yourself and you spend the next decade shipping great products instead of having to defend them. Restraint can be cheaper than the alternative in the long run, with less reputational harm.
