About
TimeByChoice started in 2026 around one question:
How much of the time we spend online did we actually mean to spend?
Why it exists
Most conversations about phone use start with one number: how many hours you spent. But that number treats every minute the same. An hour you chose and an hour that just happened look identical on a screen time report — yet they can feel very different afterwards.
That gap between what you meant to do and what you actually did is a well-studied idea in behavioral science. TimeByChoice applies it to phones, without the usual exaggeration.
What we won't do
We won't tell you to delete your apps, and we don't think social media is the enemy. We don't do dopamine-detox mythology, we don't diagnose anyone, and we don't promise that a week of anything will fix your life. Where the evidence is thin or mixed, we say so — you can see how we handle sources on the research page.
How it's run
TimeByChoice is a small, independent, self-funded project, operated by JWK International LLC. It isn't backed by any app, product, or platform. Nobody pays us to recommend anything, and there are no ads.
TimeByChoice is published without a personal byline. That's deliberate: sources are linked so any claim can be checked directly. The project should stand on the quality of its evidence rather than on personal branding.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, or feedback — send us a message. When a correction is warranted, we make it public.
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