Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why the question is about replacement, not usage
The amount of time you spend with a companion app matters less than what that time is replacing. The same app can be a welcome distraction or a stand-in for something you need from a person, and the difference is not visible in a screen-time number.
This check does not score you. It helps you name, in your own words, what the app is doing for you and what it might be crowding out — and it starts from a place that assumes you are the best judge of your own life.
The protocol
- If you are in crisis, use the resource shown above first — this walkthrough is not a crisis tool.
- In your own words, write what the app is doing for you, and what it might be replacing.
- Name the people in your life you would reach for, and whether that has changed recently.
- Pick one concrete step you would actually try, and give yourself a date to check back.
What the tool does
A private, unscored reflection in your own words, with the crisis resource shown before anything else. It runs in this browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Limit first: This is a reflection aid, not therapy and not a diagnosis. It cannot tell you whether you have a problem, and it is not a substitute for a qualified person. If you are in crisis, use the resource at the top of this page now.
Open the companion tool →One human next step
Tell one person you trust what you found in the walkthrough, or contact a counselor if what surfaced feels heavy. The 988 line above is available any time.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not applicable — a self-reflection about one's own relationships should stay in the reader's own words; an AI-generated read of those words would be the wrong tool here. §6.10: not a frontier-pace topic.
§0.5 protection result: category is chatbot-dependency-check; crisis-adjacent: yes; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only. Hard-stop escalation path verified: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988, US).