College kids finally have a reason to pay attention in class instead of checking their phones that’s a lot more convincing than “college is incredibly expensive”: free food!
And other stuff, but the food’s probably enough on its own. The bonuses come by way of an app called Pocket Points, which recognizes when students are in class and earns them points when they go for a length of class time without unlocking the phone. The points can then be redeemed in campus shops and local businesses for discounts.
The app was first developed by a student at California State University, Chico, who then teamed up with Penn State student Emily Turner to develop a version for use on her own campus. 1 point is earned for every 20 minutes a student goes without indulging their Internet addiction, though points add up faster the more students are using the app to encourage everyone to get involved.
The app will soon launch at more schools around the country, and students will learn what it was like in the before-times when we just passed notes or played paper football to pass the time. Or maybe they’ll learn something. Anything could happen.
(via Kotaku)
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