It’s a common parental dilemma these days. Teens are supposed to be doing homework, studying for a test, or doing household chores. But instead they’re surfing the Internet.
The VexBox is a small, black electronic device roughly the size and shape of a Rubik’s Cube that gets hooked up to a home’s main router and creates a new hub for kids’ devices. A parent can then use the device as an Internet throttle that can slow the speed of the Internet on those devices down to a crawl–well, 56k anyway. Backers who pledge $39 will get one when it ships in June. VexBox is hoping to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.
The device holds some appeal for the parents of some procrastinating teens. It seems likely, however, that there are many teens who, if they can’t use the Internet, will just find some other way to waste time instead of doing their homework or household duties. Still, VexBox offers an interesting way to limit Internet usage without eliminating it altogether.