The rise of portable hardware, smartphones and tabs has unlocked potential for people to work on the go, and for children to access unlimited knowledge, as they attend online classes. The lockdown only amplified the presence of digital innovation in our lives, and children in the Middle East relied largely on phones to make up for the lack of outdoor activities.

But excess of anything comes with its own drawbacks, since too much screen time can affect an individual's health, concentration and can eventually bring down productivity. To balance things out in an ecosystem where people are connected round the clock, a Dubai-based entrepreneur has launched a platform to reward students for not using their handsets.

The rising tide of e-commerce has made online discounts an attractive proposition, and the app offers these in exchange to young people for keeping smartphones locked away. Students can actually earn 'keys' for every minute that their devices are resting, and they can later redeem the virtual assets for offers in the digital marketplace.

But if some users have long-term goals in mind, they can also save up their keys to be encashed for securing scholarships. The app called Lock&Stock has partnerships with institutions on a global scale, including tie-ups with all universities in the Emirates, along with establishments in Turkey, Malaysia, US and Canada.

Students can pay up to 10% of their tuition fees with enough keys, and for a course that lasts four years, they can save almost half of the cost. Students in Dubai have been able to pay almost 25% of their school fees with rewards gathered from the Lock&Stock app.

As for rewards linked to online shopping, the firm has established partnerships with over 1000 top brands, including Adidas and Tim Hortons.

Since its launch about four years back, the platform has managed to keep students away from screens for a time period equivalent to more than a thousand years.