I actually got a time-lock safe on Amazon, specifically to hold my phone during TV/movies, so I wouldn’t be able to dick around on my phone. I set it for the length of the runtime, and then there’s nothing to do but watch TV. The result is that I watch fewer things overall, but enjoy the things I do watch more.

One thing I did learn is that the phone and especially the infinite-scrolling apps are the really addictive part. If you can disrupt that dopamine loop, the rest isn’t as hard to resist as you’d think. There was nothing stopping me from browsing Reddit’s desktop site on my laptop, but I didn’t bother. It’s specifically the hand-held information geyser that destroys my focus, not the mere existence of distractions.