Correction appended.
An app now gives Ohio University students the ability to get rewards for not using their smartphones in class.
The free app, Pocket Points, is used across the country. Students who don’t use their smartphones in class can earn points and redeem them for discounts at local and online retailers.
To earn points, students have to be on campus. They can activate the app by opening the app on a smartphone and locking it. The longer they keep their phones locked, the more points students can earn.
Students can redeem the points for exclusive deals the Pocket Points app offers. The rewards vary based on the number of points a person has earned. The range of discounts includes rewards for food and discounts for online stores.
Pocket Points came to the Athens campus at the beginning of Fall Semester. Since the app is new to the OU campus, only a few local places are offering discounts, including Plus 1 Pizza and Papa John’s.
Molly Westermeyer, a freshman studying nursing, said she would consider using the app instead of her phone.
“It would be a good positive reinforcement,” Westermeyer said.
The founders of Pocket Points, Mitch Gardner and Rob Richardson, got the idea for the app when they noticed students spent more time in class looking at their phone than paying attention.
The two thought it would be a good incentive for students to earn free food for not being on their phone in class. The app quickly grew and, in a year, it was in use in schools across the nation.
If Pocket Points becomes widely used by students, that could entice more merchants to join and offer more exclusive deals to students.
Colton Fettes, a manager at Plus 1 Pizza, is interested to see how usage of the app develops during the year at OU.
“As a company, we are always willing to try new things, and we hope that it catches on,” Fettes said. “That way, more businesses can be easily accessible for students to see what is going on.”
Brooke Young, a freshman studying psychology, said she sees the Pocket Points app as a beneficial incentive to not use her phone in class.
“Half of the time I don’t use my phone in class,” Young said. “(I would use the app) especially if it’s places I go shopping.”
The app also includes deals for online merchants including Forever 21, Columbia Sportswear, Spencers and many others.
The app also awards points based on how many people are on the app at the same time. The more students that use the app, the faster they can earn points.
If students unlock the phone, they cannot earn points. The app also only works on campus locations other than dorms. This ensures students are in a class or studying when their phone is locked.
Correction: A previous version of this report misspelled Colton Fettes' name. The article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
