Wichita State students’ dilemma: phones or free food?

It’s the ultimate dilemma for a college student – phone or free food?

That’s the choice presented by “Pocket Points,” a smartphone app that encourages students to turn off their phones on campus and rewards them with discounts and free food at local eateries when they do.

The Student Senate at Wichita State University unanimously passed a resolution this week supporting Pocket Points and encouraging students to use it.

And a growing list of Wichita merchants is offering discounts through the program, said student body President Paige Hungate

“Of course, you’d hope students would stay off their phones in class anyway,” Hungate said. “Basically it’s just encouraging them to do what they really already should be doing. But this way it gives you an incentive.”

Hungate said she sees students playing with their phones in class every day. In fact, she’s often tempted to check her own e-mail in class, “but then I realize I’m tabulating Pocket Points,” she said.

Pocket Points was launched about three years ago by a couple of students at the state university in Chico, Calif. Since then, it’s spread to more than 200 campuses nationwide and tens of thousands of college students.

Basically, the students download the app to their phone. They can use it to temporarily lock down the phone and earn discount points based on how long the phone is offline.

The system keeps track of the users’ locations, so points only pile up when they’re actually on campus.

Rewards pile up pretty quickly if you’re on campus a lot, Hungate said.

“I went to Dairy Queen the other day and used 40 Pocket Points to get a free Blizzard,” she said.

Other participating merchants near the WSU campus include Doc Green’s, PepperJack’s Grill, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Mulligan’s Pub, Peachwave, Good Cents, Chilis, Sonic and Buffalo Wild Wings.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Wichita State students’ dilemma: phones or free food?."