A 15-year-old camper at the WorldSkills Barbados Juniors (WSBJ) Future Skills Camp has developed a mobile application that challenges young people to learn while using their favourite social media platforms.
As Barbados observed International Youth Day on Wednesday, Ashton Edghil-Watson showcased his concept, Work Entertainment, during the Mobile Application Development programme at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI), where Minister of Technological and Vocational Training Sandra Husbands and ministry officials viewed projects created by campers.
Ashton Edghil-Watson
The annual camp continues at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology until Friday, exposing young people to emerging technologies and vocational skills through hands-on training.
Edghil-Watson explained that the idea came after noticing how much time children and teenagers spend on apps such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
“I got an idea… why can’t I just make an app that does the same thing, but you can use it for social media and it also kind of enhances the brain to keep thinking during that process.”
The proposed app would require users to answer questions before accessing selected social media platforms. They can choose subjects including mathematics, English, science and history, along with varying difficulty levels and question formats.
“The good thing about this app is that when you don’t get the question right, or you don’t get it right multiple times, it locks you out of that app that you have it bound to for a set period of time,” he explained. “For the first question it will lock you out for like five minutes… every time you get the question wrong… it’s going to increase the time limit that you have to wait.”
Edghil-Watson believes the app could also become a useful resource for parents seeking healthier digital habits for their children, adding that while some young people may not like the restrictions, “sometimes you need it… you just have to do it”.
The young innovator admitted the project was inspired by his own student experiences.
“I used to not really focus in on schoolwork, so it’s technically also to help me as well,” he said. “It’s just there to help me make sure that I don’t lose focus and I just have to get what I have to do done.”
Although he had been developing the idea for some time, Edghil-Watson said the Future Skills Camp gave him the opportunity to begin bringing it to life through coding.
Learning the coding has made him a more well-rounded creator, he said, noting that previous experience at the Barbados Junior Robotics Camp helped prepare him for the challenge.
He added: “I would recommend it for other teens my age… there was a lot of laughs, a lot of fun,” he said. Looking ahead, he suggested introducing BattleBots-style activities because they “encourage creativity and physical work so you can get more equipped with your hands.”
(LE)
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