Scroll Jail

• 

  Landing Page

• 

  Notifications

Scroll Jail was inspired by a simple problem: existing productivity tools are too easy to ignore. We noticed that most solutions rely on willpower, which often fails during long “doom scrolling” sessions. We wanted to build something that actively interrupts this trance and pushes users back into intentional work.

We built Scroll Jail as a local-first system using Python, Flask, and macOS automation. A background watcher continuously monitors active apps and browser activity, while a web UI allows users to configure blocked sites and focus sessions. We integrated Claude to generate real-time, contextual notifications, and connected Google Calendar to personalize these nudges based on upcoming deadlines.

Along the way, we learned a lot about system-level control, human behavior design, and how to combine AI with real-time signals to create meaningful interventions rather than passive insights.

One of the biggest challenges was making the system both responsive and reliable. Detecting browser activity, enforcing actions like force-closing apps, and keeping the experience smooth required careful handling of OS-level tools. Another challenge was designing escalation in a way that feels effective without being overly disruptive.

Overall, Scroll Jail is not just a blocker it’s a behavior-shaping system that combines automation, AI, and psychology to help users regain control of their time.

Built With

• claude
• flask
• google-calendar
• haiku
• opus
• python