A backlash has been brewing against consumer technology addiction. In response, many of the tech behemoths are making concerted efforts to scale back their addictive features while dialing up their data collection transparency and accountability - all in the name of "digital wellbeing".
a few examples:
In April Google revamped Gmail and introduced a new "snooze" feature, which enables users to resurface emails at a later (more convenient time).
In June at their annual developers' conference, Apple gave us a first look at iOS 12 and its features that help limit the amount of time a user can spend on their phone - including an improved Do Not Disturb mode and notifications that will help make it easier for users to put their phones away.
Early this month Instagram did away with its endless (unhealthy use of) the scroll introduced a mid-feed "You're All Caught Up" alert.
And it's not just technology platforms themselves that must move to a less intrusive, more organic way of enabling consumer interaction. Brands themselves (and the agencies partnering with them) have to begin designing their customer experiences with healthier behaviors in mind. This covers everything from the way they market, sell and implement customer service - as well as more internal factors such as company culture.