Scientific Research

Holte, A. J., & Ferraro, F. R.

This study provides the first major empirical evidence that switching a smartphone to grayscale significantly reduces screen time (by an average of ~38 minutes per day) and lowers social media usage by removing the visual rewards of colorful icons.

Wickord, L.-C., & Quaiser-Pohl, C.

Researchers found that grayscale interventions are particularly effective for 'habitual' users (scrolling out of boredom) and 'social' users, reducing daily screen time by roughly one hour. It acts as a 'nudge' by increasing the annoyance of using the device.

Nakamura, Y., et al.

This experiment demonstrated that a grayscale display significantly reduces player retention and daily playtime in mobile games. By removing vibrant aesthetic rewards, 'immersion' is broken, aiding in ethical disengagement.

Rahmillah, F. I., et al.

While grayscale reduced the frequency of drivers visually glancing at their screens, it did not significantly stop the physical habit of picking up the phone, suggesting it lowers visual distractibility but not deep-seated muscle memory.