Remember the days when kids would play with those amazing little bricks called Legos? This was back before every child had their own IPad to play games like Angry Birds. Well, with the use of augmented reality and API’s, Team Filip Denker and Peter Papp may have created a solution that will have kids put down the IPad and pick up the IPhone instead (it’s a good thing, trust me).
My Bricks Online is a tool that came out of the TechCrunch Disrupt London hackathon. What exactly is the tool and how will it help with the addiction of IPad usage that kids suffer from today? By downloading this tool on your smart device (i.e. a smartphone), you can augment your Lego creations by giving them sounds based on the colors of the bricks used. This opens up a world of possibilities for kids, and even adults.
This hack was created to persuade kids to put down the electronics they’ve become so addicted to today. It definitely attracts me to pull out the old Legos and start building to explore all the amazing possibilities. This idea is a gateway to multiple other possibilities. If this was done with Legos, it can also be used for other non-electronic activities in the future. Do you think this is a good idea, and do you think it can replace those IPads for Legos?
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/04/my-bricks-online/
First off, thank you for your feedback! You bring up some very good points. Although I used the IPad as a primary example in my post, I probably should clarify that it is just an example. The IPad can be replaced with many other electronic devices that have caught the attention of kids today. If you look at the article I found this information from, it does mention how it is ironic that by putting down one device we are picking up another. I see how this will raise the question of “how does this help with the addiction issue?” Yes it is true that it will encourage kids to use IPads and other devices to make the non-electronic activities better, but this also decreases the normal use of the devices. The purpose of my Angry Birds example was to show that instead of using the IPad strictly for gaming purposes on the tablet, kids will now use said device less, but to enhance real world activities. There can be some confusion for that reason. Parents can also encourage things like My Bricks Online as a gateway to ween kids off of devices. I used to love my days of building different structures with Legos, and by using the app to enhance the Lego experience for kids, it can also allow them to discover the endless possibilities that Lego bricks and other non-electronic activities can bring. It won’t immediately get rid of the addiction issue, but it can certainly help. I get what you are saying with the parentals being responsible, but it is also the kids responsibility to find wants in areas that aren’t IPads and similar devices. This, again, is why I think of it as a useful gateway. I wonder how you think this idea can be improved to solve the addiction issue?
Legos can never replace iPads. Legos can only be used to build stuff. iPads on the other hand have a lot of uses. iPads are more fun than Legos. One really has to be a fan of Legos to pick them over iPads. Now that I have made that clear, I also agree that the increased use of these electronics is having a bad effect on kids. Using these electronics is one of the factors why obesity rate has been increasing all around the world. We all know that iPads are really fun to use. That is why the parents have to work on strategies that will help limit the use of iPad.
One thing to do is obviously making a time table for the kids, where their is a balance of studies, outdoor playing and playing video games on their iiPads. The parents can also make playing on the iPad an incentive to motivate kids to behave better, study better, play outdoor games more. The parents should not restrict the kids from this technology. They should be taught that if they are good kids they will be rewarded in a balanced way.
http://www.futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=32&articleid=60§ionid=287
I think this is a really cool new piece of software, and I think there could be a lot of really cool, educational, and purposeful applications to this. However, I am not really sure how this would discourage children from using their ipads and help with the rampant “addiction” to technology. It seems to me that, although this software would encourage children to play more with legos and other non-electronic toys, it would also encourage children to use their electronic devices more as it makes playing with legos “better” and more fun. I think it could lead to children just feeling bored when playing just with legos, if they know how much more fun legos could be if they use their electronic devices to make them more interactive. I am also not sure why using a cellphone rather than an ipad would be more effective in cutting addiction to technology. Supplementing one electronic device with a different electronic device would not help this type of addiction. I also do not think it is the children who need to change their behavior with technology, I truly think it is their guardians and/or whoever it is that is buying them these electronics. Parents have the control over their children’s use of electronics, and if they are being provided with this hardware, it is bound that they may form some sort of addictive behaviors to it. I also think the care providers need to encourage the children to play with non-electronic toys, and also to familiarize themselves, and use, parental settings and use other applications that control/monitor what the children is doing on these devices. However, there are a lot of benefits of devices that were mentioned, especially educationally. If used appropriately and in moderation, these devices can be a very efficient and exciting way to learn. To summarize, I think this is a neat program and could be very entertaining, but I do not see how it would lead decreased use of electronic devices like ipads and iphones for the reasons mentioned previously.