Evaluation of Focus Friend for Adolescents
Focus Friend by Hank Green is a 4.5-star app for adolescents because it provides a safe, fun, expressive, and engaging way for teens to develop their concentration and time-management skills. Focus Friend’s system is very conducive and attractive to adolescents as it uses a gamified system that is focused on rewards rather than punishments and consequences. When users complete a focus session, they are rewarded with socks, allowing them to trade them for goods. Because adolescents have a heightened sensitivity to rewards due to their increase in dopamine receptors, rewards are a much stronger behavioral motivator as opposed to punishments. Moreover, because the premise of the app is imaginative and its aesthetic is very cute, the app and its rewards will likely be more attractive to its adolescent users. Another way in which Focus Friend is well suited to the adolescent brain is there is no shaming language or punishments when a user quits the focus session. When this happens, the bean simply says “It’s okay! We tried!” This is important because adolescents are less sensitive to negative consequences and punishments in this phase of development. Therefore, how the app is currently gamified is well suited to garnering adolescent engagement.
In addition, Focus Friend then uses that engagement to help promote healthy executive function skills during a time of heightened neuroplasticity for adolescent users. For many adolescents, success in social, academic, and personal pursuits depends on their ability to delay gratification. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult, as a 2022 study found that 54% of teens reported it would be difficult for them to give up social media. Moreover, 46% of teens say they use the internet almost constantly. Given these findings, it is not surprising that a 2026 study found that 29% of teens felt their productivity has been negatively impacted by TikTok. Because the adolescent brain undergoes a heightened period of neuroplasticity, making it especially sensitive to environmental factors, it is important to help teens develop self-regulation skills regarding their technology. By incentivizing teens to not use their phones via focus sessions, users can develop a stronger, life-long ability to delay gratification. Though this is the point of a focus timer, Focus Friend also does this by not having ads and not collecting any user data that can be used to entice further screen time. These features make Focus Friend an app that can teach valuable life skills for teens.
Focus Friend also provides adolescents with a safe and fun environment to experiment with and express their identities. Researchers have found that adolescents use avatars in online games to explore both their real and idealized versions of themselves. However, with this comes the risk of avatars invoking feelings of low self-esteem if teens fixate on the ways in which their avatar meets ideal beauty standards that they do not. What Focus Friend does so well is it provides an outlet for users to express themselves without reinforcing stereotypes and beauty standards. While users can express their individuality through their bean’s accessories and room décor, because the avatar is a bean and not a person, there is likely greater detachment and less of a risk of internalizing comparisons to one’s bean. Focus Friend also caters to adolescents’ identity exploration by allowing users to change their bean’s name at any time. When users are prompted to name their bean, the app says “Uhh…Who am I? You can change this later. I am still figuring out who I am and who I want to be.” The fluidity with which users can change their avatar and the largely a-gender nature of the bean is important for adolescents, who are focused on identity formation and experimentation in order to develop a sense of self that incorporates all facets of who they are. This can be especially important for adolescents exploring their gender identity, as the bean and its variety of room décor and accessory choices are a departure from traditional gender norms. Research has found that for transgender and gender non-conforming adolescents, avatars can be an important part of exploring and affirming their gender identity. Online environments can also be a safer space to express their gender identity for adolescents living in an environment that is not accepting of who they are.
Though Focus Friend has many benefits in what it can offer to adolescent users, there are some drawbacks that must be considered when rating. One consideration is that Focus Friend is not compatible on computers, where adolescents can still be distracted by screens. Though popular apps like TikTok and Snapchat are not well suited to or compatible on desktop platforms, video and streaming services like YouTube and Netflix can still be accessed. This is especially important to address since Pew Research found that 1 in 5 teens report being on YouTube almost constantly. Moreover, teens are more likely to complete their schoolwork on a computer as opposed to their phone, so prioritizing concentration and focus on this device is very important. So, while Focus Friend is a great tool for managing mobile screen time, it fails to account for the easily accessible and distractible nature of computers. Focus Friend’s other main drawback is the lack of in-app accessibility features. For example, there is no voiceover that can read the onscreen text for users who are visually impaired. Moreover, during focus sessions, apps that help users manage their disabilities (e.g., diabetes management apps) cannot be accessed without quitting the session or paying for a subscription. Additionally, all avatars appear to be able-bodied, which does not provide representation for those with disabilities who require mobility aides like a wheelchair or cane and who would like their avatar to have the same.
With the app’s flaws in mind, this is overall $a great app for teen users.
In addition, Focus Friend then uses that engagement to help promote healthy executive function skills during a time of heightened neuroplasticity for adolescent users. For many adolescents, success in social, academic, and personal pursuits depends on their ability to delay gratification. However, this is becoming increasingly difficult, as a 2022 study found that 54% of teens reported it would be difficult for them to give up social media. Moreover, 46% of teens say they use the internet almost constantly. Given these findings, it is not surprising that a 2026 study found that 29% of teens felt their productivity has been negatively impacted by TikTok. Because the adolescent brain undergoes a heightened period of neuroplasticity, making it especially sensitive to environmental factors, it is important to help teens develop self-regulation skills regarding their technology. By incentivizing teens to not use their phones via focus sessions, users can develop a stronger, life-long ability to delay gratification. Though this is the point of a focus timer, Focus Friend also does this by not having ads and not collecting any user data that can be used to entice further screen time. These features make Focus Friend an app that can teach valuable life skills for teens.
Focus Friend also provides adolescents with a safe and fun environment to experiment with and express their identities. Researchers have found that adolescents use avatars in online games to explore both their real and idealized versions of themselves. However, with this comes the risk of avatars invoking feelings of low self-esteem if teens fixate on the ways in which their avatar meets ideal beauty standards that they do not. What Focus Friend does so well is it provides an outlet for users to express themselves without reinforcing stereotypes and beauty standards. While users can express their individuality through their bean’s accessories and room décor, because the avatar is a bean and not a person, there is likely greater detachment and less of a risk of internalizing comparisons to one’s bean. Focus Friend also caters to adolescents’ identity exploration by allowing users to change their bean’s name at any time. When users are prompted to name their bean, the app says “Uhh…Who am I? You can change this later. I am still figuring out who I am and who I want to be.” The fluidity with which users can change their avatar and the largely a-gender nature of the bean is important for adolescents, who are focused on identity formation and experimentation in order to develop a sense of self that incorporates all facets of who they are. This can be especially important for adolescents exploring their gender identity, as the bean and its variety of room décor and accessory choices are a departure from traditional gender norms. Research has found that for transgender and gender non-conforming adolescents, avatars can be an important part of exploring and affirming their gender identity. Online environments can also be a safer space to express their gender identity for adolescents living in an environment that is not accepting of who they are.
Though Focus Friend has many benefits in what it can offer to adolescent users, there are some drawbacks that must be considered when rating. One consideration is that Focus Friend is not compatible on computers, where adolescents can still be distracted by screens. Though popular apps like TikTok and Snapchat are not well suited to or compatible on desktop platforms, video and streaming services like YouTube and Netflix can still be accessed. This is especially important to address since Pew Research found that 1 in 5 teens report being on YouTube almost constantly. Moreover, teens are more likely to complete their schoolwork on a computer as opposed to their phone, so prioritizing concentration and focus on this device is very important. So, while Focus Friend is a great tool for managing mobile screen time, it fails to account for the easily accessible and distractible nature of computers. Focus Friend’s other main drawback is the lack of in-app accessibility features. For example, there is no voiceover that can read the onscreen text for users who are visually impaired. Moreover, during focus sessions, apps that help users manage their disabilities (e.g., diabetes management apps) cannot be accessed without quitting the session or paying for a subscription. Additionally, all avatars appear to be able-bodied, which does not provide representation for those with disabilities who require mobility aides like a wheelchair or cane and who would like their avatar to have the same.
With the app’s flaws in mind, this is overall $a great app for teen users.
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I have nothing bad to say
it does exactly what it says on the tin, you can give them money if you want but the product’s functionality doesn’t hinge on any predatory pricing structure. i am still bad at focusing but this app kind of helps!
Best game ever
This is the best game ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever
Helps Immensely
Such a cute and easy to use app. It’s strange how it locks different apps on different people’s phones, but I really enjoy it. It’s helped me focus many times when I instinctively pick up my phone when doing work. Thanks Hank Green!
UNDERATED!!!
I luv this game and brings back memories!! I had it during school last year (school at that time was peak)🤍
