Abstract
Digital technologies designed to capture our attention also capture our time. These attention-capture damaging
patterns lead individuals to spend time in ways that do not align with their values. Many digital self-control
tools enable tracking time spent using digital technologies (such as social media), but tend to be designed for
those already seeking to improve their digital well-being and may not include the broader life context of the user.
We present two case studies of self-tracking systems that support collecting comprehensive records of time use,
annotating time use with abstract human values, and visualizing the alignment between time use and values.
These systems prompted users to reflect on why they were engaging in activities of everyday life, helped many
participants clarify their own values, and led some users to report being motivated to make lifestyle changes
(such as spending less time on screens). We synthesize the case studies and discuss design implications for digital
self-control tools, and for well-intentioned commercial organizations that wish to produce digital technologies
that support human values.