# Is everyone Bricking their phones without you? The anti-FOMO (and anti-doomscroll) wellness craze

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-09-27 11:00 UTC · Category: Technology

## Executive Summary
A growing wellness craze involves people intentionally rendering their smartphones non-functional to stop doomscrolling.

## Intelligence Brief
According to coverage from outlets including Woman's World, Fast Company, Fox News, WIRED, and Currently.com, a significant wellness trend is emerging as individuals push back against constant phone use. People are intentionally bricking their smartphones on purpose to stop doomscrolling, which coverage describes as an anti-FOMO and anti-doomscroll wellness craze. The digital detox movement is expanding as participants seek ways to limit their screen time and avoid constant digital connectivity. Coverage emphasizes that users do not need to pay for distraction-blocking software, according to reporting by WIRED.


Outlets such as Fox News and Fast Company highlight the growing popularity of this practice, questioning whether everyone is bricking their phone to stop doomscrolling. Currently.com frames the trend as an anti-FOMO wellness craze, while Woman's World reports that the digital detox is getting bigger as people push back against constant phone use. This trend arises within a broader cultural context of increasing concern over constant phone use and doomscrolling habits. The phenomenon reflects a growing consumer resistance to digital distraction, prompting individuals to seek low-cost or drastic methods to manage their device dependency.


Rather than relying on paid software applications, people are turning to physical or functional alterations of their devices to enforce boundaries. Coverage does not yet specify the exact technical methods individuals use to brick their phones, nor does it detail the long-term effectiveness of the practice. Future updates will likely monitor the adoption rate of phone bricking and how technology companies or software developers respond to users disabling their devices to combat distraction.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Woman's World | Digital Detox Is Getting Bigger as People Push Back Against Constant Phone Use | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNTjBMbzVTbmMtaWhXNWJGUDdaYnNDSWs4YXpUbkptZFA0WUJXMlNJSkxsZ21NMy1JNjBsR0diT01kb0FnRVMwZXJIc2pTRnV0aVUydFlWN01rTFpZSXk5QTZtTmdOUF95RWI0TmszWGl3Ny0taU5NX20xenFNSXlmQ2JhMXNxemFPVHQzam82Z1ZRUWtlZUtxRGJKNlJUbU4xMzZJbUVIZzNTdHZOZFE?oc=5) |
| fastcompany.com | People are ‘bricking’ their smartphones on purpose to stop doomscrolling | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNNUo4RVVXd0ZEczZDVGRGbmNkSHc0bEVIcFVRWDRRUDBpU2RsSEttQkN2bm1HdHN1T3hVY3o1YV83ekRlc2JLTzJOSFlhUnpOall0STM4Ymw5WHBEUXhHMjBNblYzVGhaUnVva3JGd0FjRERtbm5OWDZFMXozQkJJR0p3Rjd4eGtBOElSUnlRYXpVUTdtLVM3V2wzdzZZdFpkVTV1Sk92b2dqWnc?oc=5) |
| Fox News | Is everyone bricking their phone to stop doomscrolling? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMie0FVX3lxTE1qZTl4X3plSnFHUWFCT3kzdUNrOUtSTExyaW9VbVM2M2ZOM09tX2hZanY2ZW1VWUxoWC1idnZwQ3ZWUG5fOVJKNWhlTUZLRG9GaS1SWmVsczNiODQzWFhfQl9XRTdMd2p2SzRVQXZQZFdTa2xxcnVUNEVWONIBgAFBVV95cUxNamNmcU5fRlJBY0pLamg2Y1R2WHltbFJ1SnJNdHRNRG1DemNkSTg2UjRJc3ZraXdGQTRPd1ZRZk93MnlON0hETnJ0YkJCQlFHczVJb29NMXFvS1FrWWtubFM2Wk1QRW45NUxyUWM2UjVCT2NqT2F4cTN3SWItQ1p0VQ?oc=5) |
| WIRED | You Don’t Need to Pay for Distraction-Blocking Software | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxQS2pLSlFGc2stc24wU3ItdTVWSGhESEFMaG52N1Z2a0drTUxRNjBpSFRocHpxN0lYcVljVW5qbVAySThhby1Cd3NPclUwMHA3RC1rOF9USFZlTzdrNUV6Vk1wNDN3Qi01cnNXVGR4dXktQks2S2FEVWxwYzdBZm45anRQS083U0lvU0tB?oc=5) |
| Currently.com | Is everyone Bricking their phones without you? The anti-FOMO (and anti-doomscroll) wellness craze | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPMlZldzQ0WTcwMXkwcTJ6UUhwTkxaZEp2WmhsQUxHNk9fR2JuSjFlall5QWhrTUo5NU5xSkk0VUJ0TjlCSGdyNnlqX1BiTGRtTWxhcXVseXpmXzBtM3BTVzdJZFQ2TG5mbW4yZjFBYnRmVlc0NGFFX3lvWEF3UnAtTFFCYVFoR3pVblVJTS1RaEVYdw?oc=5) |

---
*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-09-27/is-everyone-bricking-their-phones-without-you-the-anti-fomo-and-anti-doomscroll*