Our Story | BeePresent App

OUR STORY

Stogaheim LLC was formed in 2017 by Steve Spealman and Adam Zurn with the intent to create apps for distribution in the iOS and Google Play stores. Steve has a B.S.Ed. from Shippensburg University with a Master’s Degree from LaSalle University as well as over 17 years of teaching experience. Adam has a Bachelor and two Master’s degrees from Millersville University and over 16 years of teaching experience.

Both Adam and Steve are lifelong technology users and were early adopters of the first mainstream smartphones, and in particular the iPhone in 2007. Since the iPhone’s introduction they have noticed the yearly increase of smartphone use by students in their classrooms. While initially intrigued by the various ways technology could be used to enhance learning in a traditional classroom setting, they became increasingly concerned by the dangers smartphones presented to academic success. The allure of notifications, games, and social media meant that students were constantly responding to the buzzing of their phones and paying less attention in class as well as losing valuable work time to complete assignment and projects. During this time they also noticed a rise in research articles and news stories discussing the potential dangers of smartphone use.

In 2017 Adam and Steve developed the idea of the BeePresent app to combat the dangerous allure of the smartphone. Convinced that punitive measures to decrease smartphone use in their classroom alone were not effective, the BeePresent app is designed to encourage students to ignore their phone. Early on in development they also realized that smartphone addiction is not merely a problem in the classroom, but appears in other aspects of life such as in the home and corporate settings. Adam and Steve felt that if you created a simple, fun, competition and rewarded users for not unlocking or interacting with their phones, they would be more focused and productive.

Download BeePresent today in the iOS and Google Play stores and learn to “Ignore the Buzzing!”

Links to news stories and research discussing the dangers of smartphone use

Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/health/teenagers-drugs-smartphones.html?_r=0

Students are addicted to their cellphones, and they need our help

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/column-students-are-addicted-to-their-cellphones-and-they-need-our-help

This Is My Favorite Cell Phone Policy

http://blog.mrmeyer.com/2017/this-is-my-favorite-cell-phone-policy/

Social media is as harmful as alcohol and drugs for millennials

https://theconversation.com/social-media-is-as-harmful-as-alcohol-and-drugs-for-millennials-78418

Brain, Interrupted

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/opinion/sunday/a-focus-on-distraction.html