Here is a smart device that filters content

KOCHI: Following reports that many students are getting addicted to mobile games, one of the biggest worries for parents is to ensure children are not using smartphones to watch unnecessary content. 
As gadgets are a must-have for students because of the shift towards virtual education amid the Covid pandemic, it is not easy to keep children away from accessing internet or smart devices.

When the alumni of the Haji Essa Haji Mussa Memorial School in Mattanchery decided to donate gadgets to financially backward students of their alma mater, their biggest challenge was to make sure students are using the devices solely for educational purposes. So the software and hardware engineers among the alumni came up with the idea of developing a customised gadget almost similar to a computer that denies access to unwanted content. 

After supplying a dozen such devices among students, the group is now receiving requests even from other schools.“While executing the plan, our aim was to make sure that students are using the gadgets only for study purposes. Our system includes a computer monitor, android box, camera with microphone and a dongle. Students can use Wi-Fi and if it is unavailable, they can insert a sim-card in the dongle,” said V S Abdul Gafoor, an alumnus and one of the proponents of the idea.

Another feature of the system is that students cannot log on to social media, with even the usage of USB port restricted, he said. “We have received requests for the devices from other schools including the Hidayathul Islam HSS, Edavanakkad, and the Britto’s School,” Gafoor said.“It not only filters out unwanted content but is also cost efficient compared to tablets and smartphones,” he added.

Developing one such system costs around Rs 6,700, he said.