Developer Wellness Platform
ScreenTimefortheAgeofVibeCoding
The first developer wellness platform purpose-built for AI-assisted programming. Track your habits, detect unhealthy patterns, and build a better relationship with your AI tools.
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The Research
Vibe Coding Has a Dependency Problem
Our research across 142 developers reveals patterns that mirror behavioral addiction: time distortion, compulsive engagement, and spending escalation.
of developers report regular time distortion during AI coding sessions
VibeCheck Survey, n=142mean uninterrupted session length, with only 8.9% including voluntary breaks
Session tracking study, n=38longer than self-estimated: actual session durations exceed what developers think
Objective telemetry comparisonThe Framework
The AI-Induced Flow Loop
A six-phase self-reinforcing engagement cycle that explains why vibe coding is uniquely absorbing. VibeCheck detects and interrupts this loop at each phase.
Intent Articulation
Developer describes goal in natural language. Low cognitive cost.
Track prompt submission events
Instant Generation
AI produces code in seconds. Immediate reward signal.
Measure inter-prompt intervals
Near-Miss Evaluation
Code is "almost right" -- drives next iteration like a slot near-miss.
Detect rapid retry patterns
Goal Escalation
"Just one more feature" -- task scope expands organically.
Flag scope-creep indicators
Friction Elimination
No compiler errors, no docs lookup -- no natural stopping points.
Inject artificial pause points
Sunk-Cost Lock-In
Time + money invested = can't walk away. Rate-limit upgrades at peak.
Spending alerts and cooldowns
The Product
Your Coding Habits, Visualized
A system-tray app that quietly monitors your AI tool usage and surfaces the patterns you can't see yourself.
VibeCheck Dashboard
Live session tracking, activity breakdown, wellness metrics
Active Window Monitoring
Detects VS Code, Cursor, Claude Code, JetBrains, terminal AI tools, and 20+ browser-based AI platforms. Classifies every 5 seconds.
Background AI Detection
Tracks Claude Code even when its window isn't focused. The entire session where AI is coding for you counts as AI-assisted.
Break Enforcement
Configurable Pomodoro-style interventions. After N minutes of continuous AI coding, a full-screen overlay reminds you to step away.
AIFL Loop Detection
Machine learning classifier trained on session telemetry detects when you've entered an AI-Induced Flow Loop. Escalating interventions.
Getting Started
Three Steps to Self-Awareness
Install
Download the desktop app for macOS. It sits in your system tray, quietly monitoring which applications you use.
Track
Start a session and code normally. VibeCheck classifies your activity in real-time: AI-assisted, manual coding, or non-coding.
Understand
Review your dashboard. See where your time actually goes. Spot the patterns you couldn't see yourself.
The Evidence
Built on Research, Not Assumptions
“You remember the jackpots. You don’t remember sitting there plugging tokens into the slot machine for two hours.”
The Gambling Parallel
- --Sunk-cost escalation mirrors “I need to win back my losses”
- --Near-miss code activates the same reward circuitry as slot machines
- --Rate limits hit at peak engagement -- worst time for rational decisions
- --The productivity alibi: “I’m not addicted, I’m being productive”
Key Papers
- 2025Generative AI Addiction Syndrome (Ciudad-Fernandez et al.)
- 2025Dark Addiction Patterns of AI Chatbot Interfaces (CHI)
- 2025Vibe Coding as Material Disengagement (Sarkar, Microsoft)
- 2025AI Makes Developers 19% Slower (METR / Stanford)
Privacy First
All Data Stays on Your Machine
No cloud, no telemetry, no tracking. VibeCheck stores behavioral metadata locally in SQLite. We never see your code, your prompts, or your data.
Your Computer
Window events, app names, timestamps
VibeCheck
Classify, aggregate, analyze
SQLite (local)
~/Library/Application Support/
StartUnderstandingYourAIHabitsToday
Free. Open source. No account required. All data stays on your machine.