When you were a kid did you always sit too close to the TV and get in trouble with your folks? Well, kids today have a slightly more high-tech version of the same problem – holding their phones and tablets too close to their faces.
Recognizing it’s a problem that parents want to avoid, Samsung has created an Android app that will alert children – or anyone who wants to be kept aware – when the screen is too close to their face.
Safety Screen works by using facial recognition technology to detect if any device is too close to the user’s face. If it is, a cute animation pops up to notify the user and will disappear when the device has been moved away to a safer distance.
The idea is that the app will act as a way to teach children how to properly hold and position a phone or tablet, even if they are engrossed in what’s happening on the screen.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
When children, or anyone, spend too much time too close to a small screen, they run the risk of straining their eyes, as well as causing lasting damage to their vision. According to the app’s creators, children are at risk of developing computer vision syndrome or even strains to the brain.
All parents need to do to set the app up is install it on the device and it can be activated in the background using a password so other users won’t be able to turn it off.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.