107 MPH: What a Snapchat Filter Can Teach Us About Phone Addiction

How can I stop checking my phone so often?
To stop checking your phone so often, choose one app you check too frequently and set a daily limit. Turn off unnecessary notifications, hide unread-message badges, and check messages at planned times. Start with one habit for seven days. This can help reduce distractions and make phone use more intentional.

A teenager. A highway outside Atlanta. A Snapchat filter that showed how fast a car was moving.

And one number that changed two lives forever.

107 mph.

That was the reported speed at impact in a 2015 crash that became part of a lawsuit against Snapchat.

The story is shocking. But the most interesting part isn't just the speed.

It's what made that number so tempting in the first place.

Because while most of us would never drive 107 mph for a photo, we spend our days chasing other numbers on our phones.

Unread messages. Notifications. Views. Likes.

And those little numbers have more control over our attention than we might like to admit.

The Snapchat Speed Filter That Turned Driving Into a Competition

In September 2015, a teenager was driving on a highway outside Atlanta, Georgia.

Her friends were in the car.

Her phone was open to Snapchat.

At the time, Snapchat had a feature called the speed filter. Introduced in 2013, it allowed users to display their current speed on a photo.

Most Snapchat filters were harmless fun. You could add the weather, the time, or a pair of cartoon dog ears to your picture.

But the speed filter was different.

It turned a real-world number into something you could share with friends.

And, potentially, something you wanted to beat.

From 55 MPH to 107 MPH

According to court filings, the teenager wanted to reach 100 mph so she could capture the number on Snapchat.

The car accelerated.

80 mph.

90 mph.

100 mph.

One passenger reportedly said the Snapchat display reached 113 mph.

The speed limit on that highway was just 55 mph.

Ahead, another driver was entering the highway in a gray vehicle.

The teenager didn't see him in time.

The cars collided at a reported 107 mph.

The other driver survived but suffered permanent brain damage.

A number that was supposed to impress friends had become part of a devastating accident.

Why Did Snapchat Keep the Speed Filter?

The accident raised a serious question.

Should an app offer a feature that might encourage dangerous behavior?

Snapchat hadn't told anyone to drive at high speed.

It had simply created a tool that displayed speed on a photo.

The company also displayed a warning:

"Do NOT Snap and Drive."

But the warning existed alongside the feature itself.

According to allegations in lawsuits, concerns about the filter had been raised before, and other crashes had been linked to its use.

The legal disputes brought attention to the way social media features can influence behavior, even when companies don't directly encourage dangerous actions.

In June 2021, Snapchat removed the speed filter.

Eight years after introducing it.

The larger question remains relevant today.

What happens when technology turns everyday behavior into a number we want to improve?

What a Number on Your Phone Does to Your Brain

Snapchat didn't need to say, "Drive faster."

It just displayed a number.

And numbers have a strange effect on us.

When we see a score, we naturally want to compare it.

Can we make it higher?

Can we beat yesterday?

Can we get more?

This is one reason numbers are so powerful in digital products.

They give us something easy to measure, even when that measurement doesn't improve our lives.

The Psychology of Digital Rewards

Many apps use numbers to keep us engaged.

Social media platforms show likes, views, and follower counts.

Messaging apps show unread conversations.

Email apps display notification badges.

These features aren't all harmful. Numbers can be useful. They tell us when something needs attention.

But they can also create a habit of checking.

You see a number.

You open the app.

You clear it or watch it change.

Then you come back later to see whether there's another one.

The reward isn't always important information.

Sometimes, it's simply the satisfaction of making a number disappear.

Or watching one go up.

Your Phone Has Its Own Version of the Speed Filter

Now, you'd never drive 107 mph just to post a picture.

Not even when your wife isn't in the car. 😉

But what about the numbers you chase every day?

3 unread emails

You weren't planning to check your inbox. But that little red badge is bothering you.

12 WhatsApp status views

You posted something earlier. Now you want to know who saw it. And whether anyone new has looked.

47 unread family group messages

You're not missing anything urgent. Probably. But you open the chat anyway.

Nobody gets a speeding ticket for checking WhatsApp.

Nobody ends up in the hospital because they refreshed their inbox three extra times.

The consequences aren't the same as dangerous driving.

But there is still a cost.

You lose a few seconds here.

A minute there.

Your attention moves away from your work, your family, or the person sitting across from you.

And before you realize it, those small interruptions have taken a large part of your day.

That's how digital distractions work.

Not always through one big decision.

Often through hundreds of tiny ones.

Why Red Notification Badges Are So Hard to Ignore

Think about the last time you noticed a red notification badge.

Did you stop and ask whether the message was important?

Or did you just tap it?

For many people, checking has become automatic.

The Unfinished Task Effect

An unread notification can feel like unfinished business.

Even when the message isn't urgent, the number stays visible.

It reminds you that something is waiting.

That feeling can make it harder to focus on what you're doing.

You might be reading a book, finishing a project, or spending time with your children.

Then you notice the badge.

And suddenly, your mind is somewhere else.

When Checking Becomes a Habit

The problem isn't checking your phone.

Sometimes you need to.

The problem is checking without choosing to.

A useful phone habit has a purpose.

You open an app because you need information or want to contact someone.

An unhelpful habit starts with a trigger.

You see a number, feel curious, and open the app without thinking.

Over time, this can make your phone feel less like a tool and more like something demanding your attention.

How to Reduce Screen Time by Setting Your Own Speed Limit

That highway outside Atlanta had a clear speed limit.

55 mph.

Your phone doesn't come with a personal limit for checking messages, notifications, or social media.

So you have to create one.

And it doesn't need to be complicated.

Step 1: Choose One Number You Check Too Often

Don't try to change every phone habit overnight.

Start with one.

Maybe it's your unread emails.

Maybe it's your WhatsApp status views.

Maybe it's the family group that never seems to stop talking.

Choose the number that pulls your attention away most often.

Step 2: Decide How Often You're Allowed to Check

Set a simple daily limit.

Once?

Twice?

Three times?

Pick something realistic.

For example, you might decide to check non-urgent email at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Or look at your WhatsApp status views only once in the evening.

When you've reached your limit, you're done until tomorrow.

Of course, important calls and urgent messages are different. The goal isn't to become unreachable.

It's to stop checking things that don't need your attention.

Step 3: Hide the Number When Possible

Here's an even easier solution.

If an app allows you to hide notification badges, turn them off.

No red number.

No reminder that 17 messages are waiting.

No temptation to open an app just to clear a badge.

You can still check when you choose.

The difference is that the app no longer gets to choose for you.

Step 4: Make Your Phone Less Distracting

Try a few simple changes:

• Turn off notifications for non-essential apps.

• Remove social media apps from your home screen.

• Keep your phone away during meals.

• Set specific times to check messages.

• Use Do Not Disturb during focused work or family time.

• Consider a simpler phone setup with fewer attention-grabbing features.

You don't need to abandon technology.

You just need to decide how much of your day you're willing to give it.

Try the 7-Day Attention Challenge

How often do you check your phone just to see if there's something new?

For the next seven days, choose one habit - checking messages, emails, or social media—and limit yourself to checking it just once, twice, or three times a day.

Turn off notification badges and stick to your limit.

The challenge? See how much attention you can take back when you stop chasing notifications.

At the end of the week, ask yourself:

Did you miss anything important?

Did you feel less distracted?

Did you spend more time doing things you actually wanted to do?

You might discover that the number wasn't nearly as important as it felt.

And that your attention is better spent somewhere else.

Your Attention Needs a Speed Limit, Too

The Snapchat speed filter is an extreme example of what can happen when a number becomes more important than the world around us.

But the lesson applies to everyday phone habits.

Not every number deserves your attention.

Not every notification needs an answer.

And not every unread message needs to be opened right now.

The speed limit on that Georgia highway was 55 mph.

Your phone doesn't have one.

So pick your own.

Choose one number. Set one limit. And see what happens when you stop letting a screen decide where your attention goes.

Because sometimes the best way to get more out of life is to check your phone less.

A Phone That Doesn't Ask You to Keep Checking

What if your phone helped you stay connected without constantly competing for your attention?

That's the idea behind Keyphone.

Keyphone is a minimalist, modular phone designed to give you the tools you need without the distractions you don't. With 15 essential tools, no social media, no app store, and a distraction-free operating system, Keyphone makes it easier to focus on the people and moments that matter. Its customizable hardware and privacy-focused design put you back in control of your device.

Because your phone should be a tool you use, not a number you chase.