3 good reasons to stare at your phone

I hear constant scrolling through your social media feeds is bad for your mental health during quarantine — but that can’t be true, right? [snickering] I’m here to give you three exceptions to the rule. Feel free to use them when someone tries to pry the smartphone out of your hands.

Reason #1: When you need to force yourself to get fresh air and exercise

This is the view from my studio window, a la Vincent van Gogh. Art Transfer in the Google Arts & Culture app applies elements of famous artworks to the photo you upload. The result: now I have to go outside and take a walk, because I need to see how Vincent might’ve painted my neighborhood.

Reason #2: When you need help seeing the art in everyday life

Even though exercise really does help me feel better, there’s one thing I know: there will be days when it just isn’t going to happen. The Color Palette function uses colors in your photo to dig up artwork with a similar palette, sometimes with startling results. Come for the surprises, stay for the cheat-sheet (located in the upper left corner) you can use for redecorating or art-making.

Reason #3: When you’re doing a public service — providing a distraction

Some of you wouldn’t be caught dead taking a selfie, but look at it this way. Maybe your Art Selfie can help someone pull themselves out of an unhelpful mental spiral. This function’s been around for a few years, but back then it had a tendency to mis-gender women with short hair, especially women of color. Now Art Selfie seems to draw more data from many more museum collections, which would explain the improvement. Our Google overlords are not compensating me for this post (I’m sure I’m late to this party). But I’ll give them this: they seem to have hit on the timesuck we need right now.