May 2024ACM CHI
“I finally felt I had the tools to control these urges”
The evaluation of our workshop. Best Paper Honourable Mention.
Impact & news
The record so far.
Every figure on this site traces back to research we published or sessions we ran.
With support from
+58%
ability to focus, after a single session
1.5+ hrs
saved per participant, per day
19,000+
individual reflections on digital challenges
350+
live workshops held
University of Oxford Social Impact Award, 2024
Ulrik Lyngs won the MPLS Early Career Social Impact Award.
Three Best Paper Honourable Mentions at ACM CHI
Each placed in the top 5% of submissions to the leading conference in human-computer interaction.
Our mission
Balanced, intentional device use.
We help institutions and the people in them use their devices with purpose. The work rests on more than a decade of research at the University of Oxford.
What we make
Training and products
Behaviour-change steps and open-source focus tools that let each person arrange their digital life around their own goals and devices.
What we share
Research and policy
What we learn informs technology design and government policy, so products can be built with wellbeing in mind. We keep a live evidence base on digital challenges and what solves them.
Research ↔ practice
Practice and research feed each other.
Every session shows us where people struggle and which solutions work. We share that evidence with researchers and policymakers, to help make the digital world safer and healthier by default.
We are a not-for-profit, working towards a healthier digital future with partners in higher education and policy.
650+tools analysed
54K+user reviews
250+interviews
130K+users
Training and toolsThe distilled insight
Research-powered
Built on our own research and engineering.
Every session and product draws on analyses of 650+ digital focus tools, 54,000+ user reviews and 250+ interviews, and on years of building open-source software used by 130,000+ people.
The training format comes from 300+ sessions at more than 30 universities, schools and organisations, and from what is known to work in behaviour change.
Talk · ACM CHI 2019Self-Control in Cyberspace: Applying Dual Systems Theory to a Review of Digital Self-Control ToolsUlrik Lyngs presents the review that shaped how we choose and build focus tools. Best Paper Honourable Mention.Watch on YouTubeResearch
Selected peer-reviewed papers behind the programme and the products.
Read the paper
Apr 2023ACM CHI
SwitchTube: adaptable commitment interfaces
A prototype that lets people decide in advance how a video platform should behave. Best Paper Honourable Mention.
Oct 2022International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
The Goldilocks level of support
How much help a digital self-control tool should give before it gets in the way.
Apr 2020ACM CHI
Design interventions for self-control on Facebook
A controlled study of features that reduce distraction on Facebook.
May 2019ACM CHI
Self-control in cyberspace
A review of digital self-control tools through dual systems theory. Best Paper Honourable Mention.
What people say
“One of the most impactful wellbeing interventions I have encountered.”
Head of Counselling Services, University of Leeds
“Many students have failed to tackle distraction through willpower alone. The workshops are game-changing.”
Deputy Head of Counselling, University of Oxford
“The most useful webinar I have attended in my career.”
Staff participant, University of Oxford
“I finally felt I had tools to control unhealthy urges and habits.”
Student participant, University of Oxford
News
5 Oct 2026Podcast
Techtopia 424: children build their own social media
Ulrik Lyngs and Roxane Maar on IDA’s Techtopia, with Rebuild founder Thomas Madsen-Mygdal and two young builders. In Danish.
Summer 2026Programme
Rebuild summer school: children rebuild social media
Children spent 48 hours dismantling the platforms built for them and building their own with generative AI, in European languages and with privacy designed in. Photo: Fernanda Cebrián.
Sep 2026Training
First Facilitator Courses in the United States and Oxford
At Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley, and at Linacre College in Oxford.
Jul 2026Press
Ulrik Lyngs in Inc.
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was interviewed for the Inc. article “Even the People Who Build Screen Time Apps Struggle With Phone Addiction—Here’s What Actually Helps”.
Jul 2026Conference
Workshop at the AMOSSHE national conference
Dr Ulrik Lyngs ran hands-on workshops about digital distraction, and AI & vibe coding, at the 2026 AMOSSHE conference for leaders of Student Services in higher education.
Jul 2026Announcement
Reduce Digital Distraction is now the Centre for Digital Habits
After 7 years, the Reduce Digital Distraction Project is now Centre for Digital Habits — a name that reflects not only helping people cut distraction, but actively building the digital habits they want.
May 2026Panel
Child-centred strategies for social media, CPDP Brussels
Dr Ulrik Lyngs spoke on the panel “Get out of my feed!”: Child-centered strategies to enhance well-being and agency on social media, at the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection conference in Brussels.
Mar 2026Recognition
Shortlisted for an Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s Award
We were shortlisted for the University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor’s Support for Students award (for the second year running), for our work with the Somerville Skills Hub.
Feb 2026Funding
ImpactU supports the open-source rollout
We received support from ImpactU to help bring our open-source digital focus tools and training to universities and schools across the UK, US and Denmark.
Jun 2024Award
MPLS Early Career Social Impact Award
Dr Ulrik Lyngs won the MPLS Early Career Social Impact Award for his work on the Reduce Digital Distraction Project.
May 2023Grant
UKRI Impact Acceleration Account
Sir Nigel Shadbolt and Dr Ulrik Lyngs were awarded an Impact Acceleration Account research grant to explore the UK-wide impact of the Reduce Digital Distraction workshop.
In the media
Talks, interviews and coverage since 2020.
Apr 2026Lecture series
Folkeuniversitetet, Copenhagen
Dr Ulrik Lyngs gave a public lecture series titled “How to take back control of the digital world: on clickbait, Stone Age brains and the infrastructure of freedom”.
Feb 2026Talk
Maastricht University Brussels Hub
Dr Ulrik Lyngs and Tiago Costa presented the Reduce Digital Distraction Project at the CoCoDa project’s Expert Workshop on techno-legal tools for studying systemic risks on online platforms.
May 2025Seminar
Oxford Institute for Ethics in AI
Dr Ulrik Lyngs presented our latest research at the institute’s Work in Progress Seminar.
Apr 2025Interview
Carlsberg Foundation (Danish)
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was interviewed for the Carlsberg Foundation article “Hvordan kan vi modstå smartphonens sirenesang?” (How can we resist the smartphone’s siren song?).
Feb 2025Talk
Abu Dhabi Mental Health Conference
Dr Ulrik Lyngs gave a talk about the Reduce Digital Distraction Project at the 5th Abu Dhabi Integrated Mental Health Conference in the United Arab Emirates.
Oct 2024Talk
NordiCHI, Uppsala: results from Danish high schools
We presented our work on the Reduce Digital Distraction workshop in Danish high schools at the NordiCHI conference in Uppsala, Sweden.
Oct 2024Invited lecture
Digital Mental Health group, University of Cambridge
Dr Ulrik Lyngs gave an invited talk about the Reduce Digital Distraction Project to Dr Amy Orben’s Digital Mental Health group.
Oct 2024Podcast
Brainstorm, videnskab.dk (Danish)
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was on the Brainstorm podcast by videnskab.dk, “Hvorfor har jeg så svært ved at lægge min mobil væk?” (Why do I have such a hard time putting away my phone?).
Jun 2024Newspaper
Jyllands-Posten (Danish)
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was interviewed for the article “Fem digitale tricks, der hjælper dig med at få styr på dit digitale liv” (Five digital tricks to help you get control of your digital life).
Mar 2024Podcast
Mokhm Singh Show
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was on episode #8 of the Mokhm Singh Show.
Nov 2023Magazine
Healthy Debate, Canada
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was interviewed for the article “‘Everything is at stake here’: Startups aim to break addictions to social media”.
Mar 2023Newspaper
Jyllands-Posten (Danish)
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was interviewed for the article “Hvorfor kan vi bare ikke lade være med at scrolle på vores mobiltelefon?” (Why can’t we just stop scrolling on our phones?).
May 2021Radio
DR P1, Kortsluttet (Danish)
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was interviewed on the Danish radio programme Kortsluttet on P1, in the episode “Død over digitale distraktioner” (Death to digital distractions).
Mar 2021Podcast
Brainstorm, videnskab.dk (Danish)
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was on the Brainstorm podcast, “Slip nu den telefon!” (Put down that phone! Four tips to avoid time-wasting distractions online).
May 2020Podcast
University of Oxford Podcasts
Dr Ulrik Lyngs was on University of Oxford Podcasts, “Your Digital Life During Lockdown”.