An App That Shames You to Get out of Bed

As I get older I notice that it is easier to get up early, maybe it's because I go to bed much earlier than I used to.

But, I remember in my early days of TV News, getting out of bed seemed like the hardest thing in the world. When I was a News Photographer at KTUL in Tulsa, we had to punch a time clock when we got into work (who the hell punches a time clock anymore?)

I got called on the carpet more than a few times for punching in late.

Of course, we also didn't have phone apps (hell in those days you wore a beeper) back then that will literally shame you into getting your ass out of bed. 

That is exactly what the app BetterMe is designed to do. It's free in the iTunes store and it is great for those people that find it hard to rise and shine. 

The app is incredibly simple, but it's based entirely in public humiliation.  Sometimes humiliation is the best form of motivation. 

Say you just can't get out of bed in the morning and you keep hitting the snooze bar. Every time you hit snooze, BetterMe post a message to your Facebook timeline telling your friends you were too weak to get out of bed.

BetterMe doesn't even disguise itself  as anything other than something that wants to mock you. It's entire purpose is to shame you into getting up, and it does it amazingly well. 

This is also great for your co-workers in the newsroom to check up on you. If they check your Facebook and see that you are having trouble getting out of bed, maybe a quick call from the News Director or EP will get you a bit more motivated.

I can say for certain, I am glad this app wasn't around in my Phtog days. I think my Facebook Time line would be filled with this app making fun of me.