Playtime Allowance

Back in the day, kids used to contribute to house chores for a weekly allowance. I have a feeling BOB will give a whole new meaning to the word "allowance" in the future. You see, Hopscotch BOB is a programmable hardware device that will help you balance media use in your home. This way you can determine how much time you allow your children to spend in front of the computer, playing video games or watching television. You simply give your child a pin number for BOB, and the device will shut the power off once their viewing time is up. Smart. Had my parents monitored the amount of time I spent watching TV as a kid, I'd probably be a Doctor. Well not really.

I say this could be a great idea, but introducing it to unruly teens will be a challenge. Do you think your kids will ever get used to a device like this?