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Samantha Jackson -- October 8th
I am practically the definition of a D1 procrastinator. I might turn in assignments on time, but I usually start them as late as possible. English assignment due at 7:30 am on Monday? How about we start it at 4 or 5 am on Monday? Physics write-up due 1st period? Why not start it an hour before it is due. It is truly a painful existence, so I began to look for some ways to fix it, often met with… less than ideal results. No matter what I tried, it seemed like everything just failed me. Then I was introduced to Focus Friend by Hank Green, and my life turned for the better.
Focus Friend is an app for your phone that features a little bean guy that you can name and decorate the home of. The little guy, who I named Pshi, loved knitting! When you go into the app and set yourself to focus, the little bean guy can knit uninterrupted. They knit socks (unless you pay for premium, but we will get to that), and you can use the socks to decorate their home. Focus mode goes from 5 minutes all the way to 120 minutes, or 2 hours. Depending on the amount of time, your little guy makes a different amount of socks.
This app has really been helping me focus. I really want to get more and more socks, so I keep putting my phone in focus mode. Then, I don’t want to hurt their feelings, so I don’t cancel focus even if I want to. It works really well, and I’ve stopped procrastinating as much as I used to. It isn’t a cure-all by any means, but I have noticed visible improvement in my sleep schedule and focus during the day.
Of course, no app is perfect. One of the clear negatives comes from money. The app is free, and even the free version of the app works very well. However, a LARGE amount of the content in this app is only unlockable from paying money. For one, skins. Maybe not every skin will cost money in the future, but as of now, the cheapest skin is $3. And, as mentioned in the title, John and Hank Bean are $6 each. That means you need to pay 12 dollars to get both of them. Not saying it is crazy, but it is certainly a choice. The game also charges for premium, which features a bean that knits scarves (which can buy unique decoration), 3x socks, and having control over which apps you allow. This premium cost isn’t as scary though; cost per month is $2, a year is $15, and a lifetime cost is $30. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t too bad. Still, it is a bit of a bummer.
My overall opinion? This app is totally worth it whether you pay for premium or not. I recommend you at least try it out-- if it doesn’t work for you, no harm done. I personally appreciate the decoration I can do and all the help it has given me with homework.
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