PassTask has unveiled its TOPs Balance (Task Oriented Passwords) platform, aimed at off-setting the growing trend of mobile device overuse and consumption by children and teens. The company seeks to achieve this by balancing mobile device use with bursts of knowledge delivered throughout the day, every time a user attempts to unlock their device.
Developed by entrepreneur Fred Curtis Jr., the app is the first of its kind, according to the company. When the user attempts to unlock their device, an alternative unlock method launches a 10-second “knowledge burst”; grade-specific educational content that users pass through prior to gaining access to their home screen. Content ranges from moments in history to vocabulary and science, combined with imagery. The material is drawn from partnerships with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Merriam Webster, Getty Images and others.