Features

Three layers that connect posture visibility, readiness practice, and supervised progression.

Most tools count time or block access. Rooted Reality adds what is missing: signals that show how a session unfolded, simulations that build awareness before real exposure, and a permit model that connects guardian evidence to real-world conditions.

What Others Miss

Illustrative coverage comparison.

CapabilityScreen timeBlockersRooted Reality

Behavioral posture signals (not just totals)

Partial

Control-first

Behavior-first

Readiness simulation before real exposure

Partial

Control-first

Behavior-first

Evidence-based guardian permit flow

Partial

Control-first

Behavior-first

Local diffusion and loop detection

Partial

Control-first

Behavior-first

Local-first — no behavioral cloud mirror

Partial

Control-first

Behavior-first

Companion Signals

Posture signals that show how a session changed — not just how long it lasted.

Checking loops

Repeated short returns to the same app or domain inside a session — the pattern that precedes compulsion, not just habit.

Social drift

Time inside social surfaces rising across weeks even when individual sessions look acceptable.

Context switching pressure

When app-switching rate climbs, focus is already broken — even if no single app looks bad in isolation.

Late-night pressure

Sessions that extend past a user-defined wind-down window, flagged without shaming.

Directed vs. diffused

Separates focused work windows from lower-intent diffusion — without reading any content.

Hosts-file enforcement

Durable block rules survive browser restarts and extension removal. Requires one-time elevation.

Simulation Layer

Practice recognizing pressure and manipulation before it is real.

Screen time tools and blockers assume awareness already exists. It often does not. The simulation layer builds it through interactive scenarios — before the real-world version arrives.

Scenario categories

  • Manipulative AI companion conversations
  • Social pressure and group identity dynamics
  • Financial and risk-trap decision patterns
  • Online relationship boundary scenarios

How it works

  • Hosted — no app install required for Level 1
  • Branching based on user choices, not scripted responses
  • No real consequences — safe conditions by design
  • Produces a readiness record for guardian review

Guardian Permit

From simulation evidence to real-world access — with a guardian in the loop.

Review, not just control

Guardian-facing surfaces show what happened in simulation — which scenario categories were navigated, where friction was applied — not just whether rules are on or off.

Permit conditions map to real rules

The permit translates directly into Desktop Companion block rules and oversight settings. No manual translation needed between guardian intent and enforced conditions.

Visible to everyone in the household

The person under a permit sees what it covers. Oversight is disclosed and bounded — it is not designed to feel like covert monitoring.

Adjustable as readiness improves

Permit conditions can be loosened as the readiness record grows. The goal is graduated independence, not permanent restriction.