Are you stuck doom-scrolling through social media at 2 a.m., wondering where your life went? Well, there's a gadget for that, and it's currently on sale. The Brick, a magnetic square that pairs with an app to physically block your most distracting apps, is now up to 25% off during its back-to-school sale. You can snag one Brick for $50 (15% off), two for $94 (20% off), or three for $133 (25% off). That's right, you can now buy three bricks to block three times the apps, because obviously your phone is that much of a problem.

The concept is delightfully simple: you download the app, pick which apps to disable, and then tap your phone on the Brick to 'brick' them. The Brick uses NFC to prevent those apps from running until you tap again to 'unbrick.' It's like a physical manifestation of 'out of sight, out of mind,' except the Brick is always there, judging you. You can also set schedules to block apps at specific times and modes to block certain types, giving you five free 'unbricks' for emergencies - like when you absolutely need to check Instagram during a work meeting.

ZDNET's health and wearables editor Nina Raemont tested the Brick and reduced her screen time by 7% in the first week alone. That might not sound like much, but it's a start. She's been using it since November and still swears by it, saying, "It's simple but effective at dimming distractions and doing so with the physical tap of the device. It helps me work undisturbed and wind down at the end of the night, so I can actually read more and scroll less before bed." We're not crying; it's just allergies.

Since the Brick rarely goes on sale, ZDNET has given this deal a 4/5 Editor's deal rating. But act fast - deals are subject to sell out or expire, and this back-to-school offer won't last. ZDNET's team of experts keeps checking to ensure the deal is still live, so you can shop with confidence. With 33 years of experience, 30 hands-on reviewers, and 10,000 square feet of lab space, they've got the credentials to tell you if a deal is worth your time. In 2025, they refined their approach with a percentage-off system and a sliding-scale rating based on expertise, frequency, brand, and product recognition. The result? Hand-crafted deals like this one, fully backed by experts who apparently have nothing better to do than rate sales on gadgets that block other gadgets.