Arianna Huffington Wants You to Leave Behind News Addiction
Arianna Huffington is trying to help you kick your smartphone habit.
The author of “The Sleep Revolution” and former Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post says that everything from apps like Instagram to games like Candy Crush to news alerts can be addictive.
“There’s absolutely no reason to be receiving 12 different notifications giving you the latest Trump tweet,” she told Cheddar. “If you want to pick one, pick one.”
She pointed out that the vast majority of people who aren’t in the news industry can just go directly to sites at leisure.
Those sentiments are part of why she launched the Thrive app, which allows users to limit app usage and go into “thrive mode,” where they don’t receive notifications from anyone who’s not on their “VIP List.” Everyone else gets an alert letting them know when the Thrive user will be available.
Its debut, though delayed from an intended December release, is timely given the increased focus on the dangers of too much technology. Two major Apple investors this month urged the iPhone maker to help curb device addiction in children.
Huffington knows the potential impact of being always-connected first hand. She founded Thrive Global in 2016 to counter burnout after collapsing from exhaustion and breaking her cheekbones a few years back. She’s since then been an advocate of sleep and wellness.
The Thrive app will only be available on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 devices.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/arianna-huffington-launches-thrive-app-to-combat-tech-addiction).
With household expenses rising, going green can save you thousands. Cheddar News spoke with Sara Morrow from Consumer Reports about ways to help people slash their bills with climate-friendly home improvements.
About 61% of people who use the internet are addicted to it, according to research. Cheddar News dove in at a recent meeting for a 12-step program as part of a group called ITAA (Internet Technology Addicts Anonymous). The group ( https://internetaddictsanonymous.org/ ) was formed to help the growing number of tech addicts, with more than 6% of the globe's population now addicted, according to the University of Hong Kong.
The push for clean energy is igniting an interest in electric vehicles but charging EVs continues to be a concern for consumers looking to save. Brian Moody, executive editor with Autotrader, joined Cheddar News to discuss how people can make home-charging more affordable.
A fire at a New York City e-bike shop quickly spread to upper-floor apartments and killed four people early Tuesday in the latest deadly blaze linked to exploding lithium ion batteries.
Twitter is planning to pivot to video content, according to Reuters. Cheddar News explains how the tech giant looks to double down on video, creative and e-commerce strategies.
Twitter has a new plan for success, and it involves an old strategy. According to a recent report from Reuters, the platform plans to pivot to video, and Cheddar News Senior Reporter Michelle Castillo is here to talk about what video means for twitter’s future.