ZenScreen

ZenScreen, developed by Zenlabs, operates as a cross-platform application and browser extension designed to help individuals and families cultivate healthier digital habits. Founded in 2017 by Nitin Bhandari and Naveen Puvvula, the company was established to address growing concerns around screen time. In November 2019, ZenScreen was acquired by Life360, a leading family safety and coordination service, for $0.3 million, integrating its technology to a broader user base. The four employees of Zen Labs were subsequently employed by Life360.

The application functions by monitoring device and application usage, categorizing apps into 'Entertainment', 'Productive', and 'Ignore' to help users understand their digital diet. It provides analytics on how much time is spent in each category, aiming to help users find a balance. The business model has included a free tier, offering full functionality for up to five devices, and is based on the belief that users are willing to pay a reasonable price for a service that improves their well-being, as opposed to ad-supported models that can encourage addictive usage.

ZenScreen employs AI-powered features to manage screen time. These include 'Smart Mornings', which allows for a brief phone check upon waking followed by an automatic break, and 'Calm Nights', which blocks distracting apps before bedtime to improve sleep quality. Other features are 'Zen Breaks' for interrupting habitual social media checking, a 'Daily Time Limit' for entertainment apps, and 'Quiet Time' to disable apps on-demand for device-free moments. The app is designed to be transparent, allowing children and parents to view the same dashboard, thereby aiming to foster mutual respect and reduce conflicts over screen time rules.

Keywords: digital wellbeing, screen time management, parental controls, app usage tracker, digital diet, focus app, mobile application, family technology, AI-powered app, Nitin Bhandari, Naveen Puvvula, Life360, device management, app blocking, healthy habits, technology balance, smartphone addiction, productivity tool, family safety