Screen Score

Inspiration

I was shocked to see my peers spending unprecedented amounts of time on screens, with nearly half reporting being "constantly online." After seeing how phones affected my focus, mental health, and social connections, I realized teens need practical tools, not just awareness, to make technology work for us, not against us.

What it does

Screen Score analyzes apps based on educational value, addictiveness, scrollability, time spent, and UI design. It provides a letter grade that helps me and other teens make informed choices about which apps truly deserve our attention, promoting mindful digital consumption rather than passive scrolling.

How I built it

I designed and built a Python application with Tkinter that visualizes app ratings and generates shareable "nutrition labels" for different apps.

Challenges I ran into

Balancing objectivity with subjective experience was difficult. Apps can be both helpful and harmful, depending on how they're used. I also struggled with creating metrics that would resonate across different groups, as phone usage patterns vary significantly.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I've created a conversation starter that goes beyond simply telling teens to "use phones less." Screen Score transforms abstract concerns about screen time into concrete, actionable insights.

What I learned

I learned how to build and style a tkinter app with dynamic visuals that respond to user input. I figured out how to render and export high-quality PNG images directly from Python using Pillow. Most importantly, I discovered that playful design can be a powerful tool to spark meaningful conversations about screen time and digital wellbeing.

What's next for Screen Score

I plan to turn Screen Score into a mobile app that offers personalized recommendations, tracks improvements over time, and connects users to a community of like-minded teens. I'm also developing a #PhoneFreeZone initiative for schools and creating weekly challenges like #ScreenLessSundays to build healthier digital habits, all as part of a larger initiative called Teens Beyond Screens to help teens better their relationship with technology.

Built With

• python