The Lock&Stock app. Courtesy Lock&Stock
The Lock&Stock app. Courtesy Lock&Stock

Education

App that rewards students for not using phones in class launched in the UAE

The Lock&Stock app blocks notifications from all social media platforms

The National

September 28, 2017

An app that rewards college students for not using their mobiles in class has been launched in the UAE.

The Lock&Stock app blocks notifications from social media platforms and allows students to concentrate. The longer a user’s phone is locked, the more points they earn.

Users can then redeem their points for offers and promotions from Lock&Stock’s more than 50 partner brands across fashion, food, entertainment and wellness industries.

To prevent non-students from using the app, it's programmed to only work on college and university campuses.

The app is available as a free download on Android and iOS and at more than a hundred colleges and universities in the UAE, covering more than 120,000 students.

"Social media sites have become such an integral part of our lives that millions of people are finding it hard to stay disconnected," said Craig Fernandes, co-founder and chief executive of Lock&Stock.

"This problem is especially evident in our classrooms. We aim to provide students with a positive incentive to put their phones away and actually pay attention. We hope that this will lead to improved attendance levels and better academic performances among students in the UAE."

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Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

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