thinkgoodsee what's
rotting your brain
We analyze apps, platforms and tools to reveal what they're really doing to your brain, backed by research.
TikTok
TikTok's feed plays short videos one after another with no end point. The algorithm adjusts in real time to what holds your attention. Most users stay significantly longer than they planned to.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT produces answers faster than you can think of them yourself. That speed is genuinely useful, but it also means your brain gets less practice doing the work. Research shows that frequent users score lower on critical thinking assessments.
Duolingo
Duolingo teaches languages through short gamified lessons. The streak counter, leaderboards, and aggressive notifications are the engagement layer. The teaching is real, but so is the habit-formation design.
Reclaim your brain.
Your food has a nutrition label. The supplements you take have an ingredient list. The water you drink and the air you breathe has quality ratings. The apps consuming hours of your attention, the most powerful interfaces ever built to shape human behavior, have nothing.
Thinkgood was built to help you make better decisions about your digital health and to reclaim your brain.
Questions
How are scores calculated?
Every app is scored 1–10 on five harmful design patterns: attention capture, habit formation, social pressure, time theft, and cognitive erosion. Those five combine into a single 0–100 brain score — higher means cleaner. We also note one upside, cognitive nourishment, on the label, though it doesn't move the score. Same framework, every app, no exceptions.
Doesn't it depend on how you use it?
Everyone uses apps differently. So we focus on what behaviors and outcomes products incentivize with their design.
While you can watch an educational long-form video on TikTok from your favorite creator, the app is fundamentally designed for short form, high stimulation that keeps you swiping.
We analyze what the core product loops and the app design (without you realizing it) and ground our findings in research and real human outcomes.
Who decides what's 'rotting' the brain?
Ultimately, that's up to you. We base our scores on published research and our insights into the actual mechanics of how each product is designed. We're not here to tell you what to do, we're here to help you make more informed decisions about what you put in your brain.
Is this anti-technology?
No. We use the internet too. The point isn't that screens are evil. It's that some products are designed to support thinking and some are designed to replace it. We help you decide which is which.
Why are scores locked?
A small number of free ratings are available to the public. Full reports support our work and research. We don't use ads and we'll never sponsor a product. The paywall is how we stay honest and fair.
How often are ratings updated?
We strive to update scores within a few days of when an app or product meaningfully changes. We consider new features, redesigns, or ownership changes.