Get up.

You picked up your phone to check one thing. That was forty minutes ago.

It wasn't weakness. The apps on that phone were built to keep you there, by people who are very good at it. Facebook's first president said so himself: it was designed to exploit "a vulnerability in human psychology". The feed has no bottom because someone decided it shouldn't.

Every swipe is a pull on a slot machine. Most of what comes up is filler. Now and then it's a gem, and you can't tell which is next. Not knowing is what keeps your thumb moving.

It works. UK adults now spend about four and a half hours a day online, and half of that goes to two companies. Both make most of their money from adverts, so every extra minute of yours is worth a little more to them. What you post in public is used to train AI. By one count, about half the traffic on the internet isn't even people any more.

We're not against phones. Phones are brilliant. We just think the deal has gone lopsided: you hand over your evenings and get back a vague sense that you meant to do something else.

So this is what we believe.

Your attention is yours. It's the most valuable thing you have, which is why so many people are after it.

It was never a fair fight. One tired person on a sofa against a building full of the world's best engineers and psychologists, all paid to keep you there. You don't need more willpower. You need a speed bump.

Scroll on purpose. If you choose twenty minutes of TikTok, enjoy every second. It's the scroll you never chose that we're after.

The way out is physical. Stand up. Cross the room. Somewhere between the sofa and the far side of the room, you get to decide again.

Nobody needs a prison. Cheat, quit, have a bad week. It's your phone.

The time is for something real. A walk, a run, the gym. A book, a proper dinner, a friend, the person next to you. We don't much mind which, as long as you picked it. And appreciate it while you're there.

Yes, you're probably reading this on your phone. We see the irony. Finish it, then get up. Do something great.