What the Tech: Apps can help you keep New Year’s resolutions
By JAMIE TUCKER Consumer Technology Reporter
Making resolutions is easy. Keeping them? Well…that’s a different story.
Repeated surveys show only about 40% of resolution makers end up keeping them at least 6 months.
I asked a cashier at a convenience store whether they sold any cigarettes on New Year’s Day. She said almost none. But by January 3rd, it was business as usual.
If you’ve resolved to stop smoking, lose weight, or stay off social media, these apps can help you stay on track.
The most popular app to help stop smoking is “Smoke Free-Quit Smoking Now” with over 57 thousand ratings and 4.8 stars. A bot sends messages to motivate users, keeps a running tally of days quit, and how much money you’ve saved. It’s free for Android and iPhone. A subscription with more features is $7 a month.
For kicking an alcohol habit, the app “I Am Sober” boasts over 130 thousand ratings and 4.9 stars. It tracks days of sobriety, sends motivational messages, and connects to others who’ve resolved to cut down or cut out alcohol completely. And, how much money you’ve saved and how much you’ll continue to save if you stop buying alcohol.
For those struggling with a pornography addiction, the app Covenant Eyes is an accountability partner that will block porn on all of your devices. It also uses AI to monitor messages and blur photos it determines may be explicit or suggestive. Covenant Eyes and its companion app Victory work on iPhone and Android devices.
And if improving mental health tops your 2024 goals, the app Stoic aims to help you sleep and live a happier life through journaling. Stoic offers a personalized daily planner and sends daily prompts to inspire and motivate users to add to a journal.
Stoic also blocks distracting apps and limits screen time. It’s free for iPhone but a premium subscription with additional features is $40 a year.
Of course, an app alone doesn’t guarantee you’ll keep your resolution, but some encouragement and reminders on a smartphone can help.
