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New Shoe Designed to Kick-Start Couch Potatoes
Terremoto writes "A student at west London's Brunel University has developed a shoe with a pedometer that controls the amount of time a TV will remain lit. If sufficient activity has not been achieved the TV remains uncooperative. The device is appropriately named, "Square-Eyes"."
First reaction, cute, but what a stupid idea. I won't even go into how this is a technological innovation to enforce parenting, but if you really
wanted to make sure someone was active instead of watching too much tv, why not hook an exercise bike up to a generator. You can watch tv as long
as you pedal. This would sour kids on TV pretty quick, or get some exercise out of them. Either way, not a bad idea.
Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
If they could somehow program it for those of us who , (guilty) surf the web for hours on end, sitting in front of the computer... Until then, I will continue to wander the net...
but truly lazy people will always find a way to be lazy. they'll just pick up the shoes and shake them, or somesuch. to make it think they walked. as with previous idea's like this, its worthless if its even semi-easily trickable
Day one: Wow, look at this new thing i got, it'll motivate me to run. *run run run* *watch TV*
Day two:*run run* *watch TV*
Day three: Damn, my favorite show is on but i haven't run enough, i'll disconnect the running thing just this once...
THE END.
From the article:
"Today's children are exposed to a raft of television programmes and children's channels. Ten years ago, children were entertained by playing games with their friends, now they are cooped up in their bedrooms watching hours of television programmes," she said.
Ten years ago, 1995, kids were pursuing a sedentary lifestyle of watching TV and playing videogames with their friends.
The idea behind this seems quite good, rewarding exercise with television, but 2 hours for 15,000 steps (both daily recommended amounts, according to the article..) seems a little low. Most kids, even if they take to such a device, are going to be watching more than 2 hours TV a day.
As for the article's claim that this will be an 'eye-opener' for those with a sedimentary lifestyle, I think it would be more likely to join the realms of exercise equipment old and new that sits unused while its owners procrastinate about getting more exercise.
Business Voyeur
Children learn from feedback. It's not about punishment, because of course any punished kid can find a way around it. It's about communicating expectations.
Surprisingly, children desperately want to do what their parents think is right. They have a rebellious stage, but on the whole they want approval.
In communities where the children are taught very clearly what the expectations are and the expectations are consistent, children tend to follow them, in the end. This is why religions survive. You rebel for a few years, but you come back to what you were taught in the end if you possibly can. Whether you think that's a good thing or not depends on your view of religion, but not important here.
Honestly, I don't know how long I need to be active, because my parents didn't teach me. I don't feel a creeping sense that something is wrong if I haven't exercised in a few days. I also don't feel a creeping sense of wrongness if I haven't done the dishes or made my bed, but I do if I haven't washed my hands, read a book, paid my bills...
It doesn't matter if your kids aren't doing the right thing for a while. What matters is if they know what the right thing is.
If someone has the willpower to wear these shoes and let them control the TV...then he has the willpower to go running anyway.
giving kids an allowance is using a device to enforce parenting. You should just give them a credit card with a high limit, and teach them not to spend too much.
Get over yourself.
OK so the idea may be a good one (intent) there are too many flaws in the design (as others have pointed out). I have a better product idea... Have an adult around that sets rules on how much TV a child can watch and actually enforce the rules. Oh wait, I think the "adult" patent was approved 4000 years ago.