WebBarrier wins Rep. John James’ 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Michigan’s 10th District

When asked what inspired the creation of WebBarrier, the student said, “Over 60% of students during the COVID-19 pandemic struggled with distractions during class. Schools throughout the world turned to remote learning and students were forced to do homework virtually. The urge to open social media while in class often plagued students. Even after the pandemic, schools relied on computers and technology to run the classroom. Resources for courses and school engagements have all turned digital, which even includes the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Studying for these examinations and classes electronically has become overwhelmingly difficult for middle school, high school, and even college students. On average, these students were 4 to 5 months behind in math and reading. The need to limit the unnecessary use of the web was apparent.

On a broader scale, high school students have become increasingly more digital dependent. According to a survey, 66% of teens feel like they are addicted to social media. Teens, including myself, often spend hours and hours in front of a screen each day. As a result, the mental health, social skills, and quality of sleep of teens have been damaged, illustrating the need to combat this issue.

A solution to help with digital dependence from all perspectives is to limit social media. However, the question arises of how to approach that. From personal experience to the words of others throughout schools in America, the idea sparked in my head. Developing a tool to cap the use of social media was a clear necessity. Making something that can remove these distractions, improve learning and grades for students, and help fight internet addictions intrigued me, thus inspiring me to create WebBarrier.”