Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I'm glad my parents hadn't heard of this!


Is your child a reluctant student? There's a new solution to the age-old problem.

Parents struggling to get their kids to revise in the run-up to exams can now keep them at their desk using a ball and chain that only unlocks when they have studied for long enough.

Concerned mums and dads set the desired study time on the Study Ball and attach it to their child's ankle.

A red digital display counts down the "Study Time Left" and the device beeps and unlocks when the time expires.




The prison-style device weighs 9.5 kg (21 pounds), making it difficult to move while wearing it.

It cannot be locked for more than four hours and comes with a safety key that allows the manacle to be opened at anytime.

The ball and chain costs £75 [US $115] and is sold online at curiosite.com.

. . .

Designer Emilio Alarcon came up with the idea after a friend likened revision to being in jail.

He said: "Studying can be fun and enriching if you do it once in a while, but no one likes to study for days on end, especially not with an exam date looming overhead.

"The project was born of a conversation I had with a friend who was studying for a civil service exam.

"He said 'I haven't left the house in a week, this is like being in jail'."


There's more at the link.

This might actually be very useful! Still, I suspect the authorities will charge parents who use this thing with child abuse, unlawful detention, and anything else they can think of. Pity, that . . .

Peter

1 comment:

Christina RN LMT said...

I heard about this one on the radio today. The DJs were also convinced the minute a parent used one of these balls-and-chains, he/she would be arrested. I can't imagine that these work, anyway. If I were the child, I'd spend the whole time either trying to outwit the darn thing, or doing fun stuff. It's not like you can force a kid to actually DO anything, despite being literally chained down!