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Smartwatch for internet addicts: Students look for tech cure to digital age affliction
Three University of Indonesia students have created Nettox, a prototype smartwatch to help people deal with one of today's most prevalent problems – internet addiction.
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Multidisciplinary project: Three University of Indonesia students – Irfan Budi Satria from the school of electrical engineering (center), Nabila “Nayu” Ayu Budianti from the school of biology (right) and Alhuda Reza Mahara from the school of computer science – created Nettox, a prototype smartwatch to help people deal with internet addiction. (JP /Medina Rahma Putri)
In this era of rapid technological advancement lies the paradox of the internet.
For example, while productivity can increase thanks to the convenience of instant messaging, remote working and video call meetings, on the other hand, the internet also opens doors for people to waste time mindlessly scrolling through social media, doing little more than posting narcissistic posts or arguing with people thousands of miles away because of simple differences of opinion.
Realizing the double edged sword of the internet’s potential, three University of Indonesia (UI) students – Irfan Budi Satria from the school of electrical engineering, Nabila “Nayu” Ayu Budianti from the school of biology and Alhuda Reza Mahara from the school of computer science – created Nettox, a smartwatch they believe can help people deal with internet addiction.
Nettox, short for “internet detox”, began with a discussion about Nayu’s cousin, a second-grade elementary student heavily addicted to YouTube.
Nayu also remembered a time she was traveling on a commuter line train and saw a toddler glued to her mother’s gadget.
Alhuda, meanwhile, admitted he had once begun developing an addiction to the internet.
“When I was stressed with assignments, I would reach for my phone and spend hours scrolling through it instead,” Alhuda told The Jakarta Post.
