Aura Parents Lands on TIME's Best Inventions List for 2026

Traditional parental controls often stop at screen time limits and site blocking, but Aura's approach shifts the focus toward psychological wellbeing. By leveraging a Digital Wellbeing Index developed with clinical psychologists, the app assigns a 0-100 score based on 17 dimensions of digital life. This allows parents to monitor shifts in habits rather than just counting minutes spent on a device.

The tool addresses specific modern anxieties, including high-risk AI chat apps and messaging patterns. Its risk signals feature is designed to flag potential self-harm indicators within texts and social interactions, providing parents with early alerts. Founder and CEO Hari Ravichandran stated that the technology is intended to bridge the gap between being present and being informed, noting that the goal is to foster trust rather than fuel arguments over device usage.

TIME selected the 300 honorees for the 2026 list based on criteria including efficacy, originality, and overall impact. Aura’s inclusion highlights the growing demand for software that interprets the context of digital activity rather than merely restricting it.