Unplug ‘n’ Play

Introduction

Background
Based on a survey conducted by Common Sense Media on 1,200 parents and teens in the USA, 66% of parents feel their teens spend too much time on their mobile devices. 52% of kids agree. Aside from this, 77% of parents feel their kids get distracted with mobile devices and don’t pay attention when they are together. 41% of teens say the same about their parents. (Felt, L. J. & Robb, M. B., 2016)

These numbers show that gadget addiction is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

Problem Behind the Studies
Although there are many existing apps that try to prevent the overuse of gadgets, they are limited to controlling and limiting the child’s gadget use by blocking websites, locking their devices or shutting them down. These apps remove the technology from the child without understanding why they enjoy playing with it or giving suggestions on what the child can do instead. According to Common Sense Media, 36% of parents and 32% of teens argue about device use on a daily basis (Felt, L. J. & Robb, M. B., 2016). Parents and children would be less likely to argue if the child was given another activity that he/she would be interested in. This is why Unplug ‘n’ Play is more effective than the typical gadget addiction app.

Objectives
Unplug ‘n’ Play aims to prevent gadget addiction by:
• notifying parents of their child’s gadget use
• using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recommend other activities based on a child’s interests
• building closer relationships between parents and children

Significance
Unplug ‘n’ Play can benefit families, especially those with working parents who are not able spend a lot of time with their children and are unable to monitor their gadget use. It has the potential to bring families closer together by sharing information on a child’s interests and recommending activities and related products for them to enjoy. It also motivates children to have fun without their devices for them to develop interests in offline activities and use their devices less. Aside from this, Unplug ‘n’ Play inspires children and parents alike to bond with each other instead of using gadgets.

How it Works

1. When the child’s device is turned on, a timer begins and an email is sent to the parent.
2. Once the timer ends, the child is brought to a website with lists of activities that can be done without using gadgets. The child can talk to a chatbot that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to give suggestions based on the games, videos and other activities that the he/she likes to do on his/her device. For example, a child who likes anime can be led to a webpage on how to draw manga characters.
3. The child can then use the Unplug ‘n’ Play app to take a picture of himself/herself doing the activity, which is sent to the parent.
4. Finally, when the child turns off the gadget, an email with his/her browsing history is sent to the parents.
5. Parents can access the website and talk to the chatbot to learn more about their child’s interests and gain advice on how these can be supported through related offline activities such as crafts, books, board games, educational toys and after-school programs. There are many apps that prevent overuse of gadgets, but none are quite like Unplug ‘n’ Play. While other apps enable parents to monitor and control device usage, they do so by locking the phone, blocking websites or simply shutting down the device. Unplug ‘n’ Play encourages parents to learn more about their child’s interests to help them understand and support their hobbies, which helps the family bond in fun and exciting ways.

Project Inspiration
Inspiration for this project came from knowing that some students find it difficult to focus and do their schoolwork when they spend too much time playing video games and/or using gadgets. Others do not study and/or do their homework because of this problem. Aside from this, families grow farther apart when they spend too much time on their devices instead of talking to each other. It is not only children who overuse their gadgets, but parents as well. Gadget addiction is becoming a big problem to a lot of people, and Unplug ‘n’ Play can help prevent it.

Process
The prototype for Unplug ‘n’ Play was completed using the Agile model of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). First, the uses and purpose of the program were listed down based on research on gadget addiction. Then, its graphical user interface was designed on paper. Next, the program was made using Microsoft Visual Studio C#. This programming language can detect Windows log in and shutdown events for Unplug ‘n’ Play’s email notifications, and it also makes designing graphical user interfaces easier. Errors in the program were fixed through researching, editing the code, and testing it. Finally, the website* was made using WordPress, which has an IBM Watson Assistant plugin with Artificial Intelligence (AI) used for recommending fun activities for the child to do based on his/her interests and related products for parents to buy.

Once the working prototype was finished, surveys were made and sent to parents and children using Google Forms. The information from these surveys were used to improve the project. Lastly, the program was presented to a small group of parents and children to verify that it would be useful.

Results and Discussions
• A working prototype with a timer, log-in/shutdown detection, automated email notifications, and ability to redirect to a website with an AI-powered chatbot was successfully created:

Conclusion
Based on the results, Unplug ‘n’ Play has the potential to help families and should be implemented in the future. However, it is still up to the parents and children to work together to use it in the right way and lessen time spent on their devices. Through this app and everyone’s cooperation, families can still remain close in this technology-driven world.

Major References
10 Apps for Parents to Monitor Kids’ Mobile Use. (2015, January 28). Retrieved from
https://www.familyeducation.com/fun/mobile-apps/10-apps-parents-monitor-kids-mobileuse
Brown, S. (2015, February 19). 8 Ways to Help Cure Your Teen’s Screen Addiction. Retrieved
from http://time.com/3705794/8-ways-to-help-cure-your-teens-screen-addiction/
Felt, L. J. & Robb, M. B. (2016). Technology addiction: Concern, controversy, and finding
balance. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.
Parenting Tips. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.healthxchange.sg/children/parenting-tips/tipsprevent-
tech-addiction-children
StackOverflow.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://stackoverflow.org/
Reflections

Recommendations
Unplug ‘n’ Play should be further developed to support mobile and Mac devices. It should also allow parents to customize the timer and types of emails sent. Based on parents’ feedback, it should also be able to block websites that are not meant for children.

Additional questions/inquiries
More testing is needed over a longer period of time to prove that the app can lessen use of gadgets and improve family relationships.

Key Learning
This developer learned C#, WordPress, databases, flowcharts, APA formatting, IBM Watson Assistant as well as information on gadget addiction and how it affects families. The project proved that technology could be used in productive ways to help other people. Overall, it was a fun and meaningful experience!