High school girls in Japan spend an average of seven hours a day on their mobile phones, as per a survey conducted by information security firm Digital Arts revealed. Nearly 10 percent of them spend at least 15 hours. Boys of the same age average just over four hours mobile phone use a day. Recent research by the Shanghai Mental Health Center assessing brain scans of youths with technology addiction showed it caused neurological changes similar to those who have alcohol and cocaine dependency. To help Japanese parents from this terrible addiction, Kobe-based venture firm Momo has developed a smartphone case OTOMOS to help parents to protect their children from becoming addicted to the mobile devices.
The Japanese firm Momo plans to sell the smartphone case OTOMOS by late August in Japan. The case allows parents to set time restrictions for use of smartphone by kids. It prevents children from using the device while walking. The Children’s smartphones can be fixed inside the case with a screw and the case cannot be detached without a special driver.
After downloading an app, OTOMOS allows parents to control their children’s daily smartphone usage via their own smartphone. If kids try to exceed the limit, the screen automatically turns to sleep mode.For parents who do not have smartphones (very rare in Japan), the setting can be made from a website. The case deactivates smartphones if it detects walking motion. Automatic messages can be sent to parents’ smartphones if it senses huge shocks such as accidents.
The 37-year-old president of the venture firm Masato Otsu said “We have developed the product after hearing many views and concerns of parents who have children using smartphones. All you have to do is just attach the case, so it is very easy to use”. We sincerely hope Momo will come up with Korean, Chinese etc. version also.For a two-year contract inclusive of the case and application fee, the company is expected to set the price at around 500 yen per month. Customers can apply for the service at mobile phone shops or at http://momo-ltd.com/.
