Guides

Do screen time limits actually work?

29 October 2026 · Nuverdi

Screen time limits are a good start. But if you've ever hit "Ignore Limit" without thinking, you already know their weakness.

The problem: ignoring them is free

When you hit an app limit on iPhone, you can choose to ignore it for a minute, for 15 minutes or for the rest of the day. Android's app timers can be paused or changed just as easily. In the moment, carrying on costs nothing, so the version of you who set the limit loses to the version of you holding the phone.

Why our brains do this

People tend to value what's in front of them now over what they want later. Economists call it present bias. A goal set on Sunday night has to compete with a video that's right there.

What helps: losses feel bigger than gains

Research by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky found that people feel losses more strongly than equal gains. That's why "lose £30 if you go over" motivates more than "earn £30 if you stay under".

Commitment contracts

A commitment contract is a promise with a cost attached. In a well-known study in the Philippines, smokers were offered a savings account they'd lose if they failed a nicotine test after six months. Those offered it were more likely to have quit than those who weren't (Giné, Karlan and Zinman, 2010). Putting money behind a goal won't work for everyone, but it changes the maths in the moment.

How Nuverdi uses this

Nuverdi turns your screen time limit into a commitment contract. You choose a daily limit and a monthly stake. Your weekly average is what counts, so one bad day doesn't ruin it. A real person checks your screenshot. Stick to it and you get your stake back, minus a £5 fee. Go over, and the limit finally has a cost.