A North West entrepreneur has invented a product designed to help families maintain "healthy relationships" with screens.
Bill Stirling has created Tech-Break, a lock box for the home with special features for tech devices and a customisable timer mechanism preventing families from using their smartphones and tablets.
Mr Stirling said it is designed to help families collectively agree and implement regular screen breaks to reverse the effects of excessive tech use, which is known to impact physical and mental health.
Mr Stirling said he first came up with the concept for Tech-Break in 2019, but the first lockdown inspired him to escalate development of the product as he recognised his own family was spending excessive amounts of time online during lockdown.
Mr Stirling said: “My wife and I tried to enforce screen free periods during lockdown but, as I’m sure other parents will agree, that isn’t easy.
"The kids responded as though they were being punished when I tried to take their devices away for a couple of hours and they rightly questioned why my wife and I were still checking our phones — I couldn’t answer that.
"I realised the need for a tangible solution, an enforcer that ensures we all stick to our agreed tech breaks without parents being ‘the bad guys’.”
Tech-Break, controlled by buttons on the lid, has three timer modes allowing users to select a screen free period that works for them - between one hour and fourteen days.
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Once set, the countdown clock displays the remaining time and when the timer runs out the door automatically springs open.
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The 24-hour mode has been of particular interest to Tiffany Shlain, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and best-selling author of ‘24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week’.
She said: “Turning off screens one day a week can do wonders for the mind, body and soul.
“I love how Tech-Break keeps devices out of sight, out of mind for an hour, bedtime or, what I suggest in my book, a full day each week.”
Dr Amanda Gummer, child development expert and creator of The Balanced Play Guide, ran a group test of Tech-Break on families.
She said: “When children do something physical, like putting a device away in a particular place, it can help process and reinforce the routine. Children thrive on routines as it gives them confidence and helps embed healthy habits.”