An app is almost a surefire way to pique a youngster’s interest in an activity.
Why isn’t there a stiXzzle app?
It happens that stiXzzle creator, i.e., yours truly, shares the same sentiments - of the effects of excessive screen time on developing brains - as tech moguls like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates who placed strict boundaries on technology when raising their children.
BBC article “How can a distracted generation learn anything?” talked about the issue as follows:
“There is a growing body of evidence – that is, yes, not fully validated and can be argued against – but pretty clear evidence that technology, social media, immediate access to the internet and smartphones are hurting kids’ ability to focus”
“Tech’s effects are clearest in the most traditional school task, reading, especially as kids migrate from text-based digital media to image-heavy apps like Instagram and Snapchat”
“Students, now, seem to find it particularly exhausting to read complex or long text without regular breaks. In the past, students seemed to be accustomed to attending to a text for a longer period of time”
“Without the ability to pay attention to something, kids are not going to be able to process [information]. They’re not going to be able to consolidate it into memory, which means they’re not going to be able to interpret, analyse, synthesise, critique and come to some decision about the information,”
“… as information becomes ubiquitous, success is no longer about knowing the most. Instead, it’s the ability to think critically and creatively, ironically the very skills that digital media undermines by lowering attention spans”
Instead of adding to the plethora of apps, I would rather kids be able to enjoy stiXzzle without parents worrying about busting screen time limits.
This is why stiXzzle is a paper-based crossword puzzle game with stickers.