A new app, known as Pocket Points, just landed on the Mississippi State University campus—it is geared towards helping college students steer away from cellphone use and keep a few extra bucks in their pockets.
Pocket Points helps students reduce use of cellphones during class and provides discounts which can be used online and at local businesses in Starkville. The more one stays off one’s phone, the more points students receive and may gain greater discounts.
Campus Representative for Pocket Points Will McGhee, sophomore biochemistry pre-dental major, from Richmond Virginia, said he believes this app is great for everyone on campus.
“The Pocket Points app is great, the discounts are hard to beat, it’s easy to use in class and I use it myself,” McGhee said. “Pocket Points raises your GPA and your bank account.”
The first step required in working the app is downloading Pocket Points to a smartphone and creating an account. Then, check-in and put the phone away. Lastly, earn points and save money.
Pocket Points will start giving out points from 7a.m- 10p.m and also has geo location to know when a user is on campus. It also keeps track of how many points one has. Pocket Points is used at over 150 universities.
According to McGhee, MSU is the first school to kick-off the big launch of the new app. Last semester during Pocket Points’ sub-launch at six schools, the app kept students off their phone for a combined total of 95 days.
Pocket Points originally started in Chico, California, at Chico State University. Almost as much as 20 percent of the student population at MSU use Pocket Points. Teachers, faculty and staff can also use Pocket Points while on campus.
Bart Wood II, general manager of Little Dooey’s Barbeque Restaurant, said Pocket Points is a win-win for everybody.
“It’s another opportunity for us to reach out into the community and allow students to get a discount,” Wood said. “We see more and more students using Pocket Points every day—they will come in and tell us ‘Hey, I got my Pocket Points.’”
There are 18 businesses already partnered with Pocket Points in Starkville. Restaurants include Mugshots, Old Venice, Lost Pizza Co., Case Bravo, Buffalo Wild Wings, JUVA Juice, Dominoes Pizza Little Dooeys, Strange Brew Coffee and Cold Stone Creamery. Retail locations includeBook Mart and Café, LA Green, Campus Book Mart, Highlights Salon, Reed’s, Sunsations, Libby Story and Style Revel.
Megan Berry, hair stylist at Highlights Salon, said she believes this is great for local businesses.
“This is a great idea especially for businesses like Highlights Salon, because we are a hidden treasure in Starkville,” Berry said. “Once students learn about Pocket Points we expect more students to know about us.”
Highlights Salon offers $5 off haircuts and $50 for one color partial highlights, through Pocket Points.
Courtney Carter, assistant professor of African American studies and sociology, said as a teacher, she welcomes the new app because it keeps students off their cell phones.
“I think it’s great to give students incentives to help students disengage from their phones, so they can actually plug in the material being given,” Carter said. “This is a wonderful idea, especially for the cost of books, they could use the points to decrease the cost and make it worth their wild.”
Once one registers for Pocket Points, 15 free points will be provided. Students can also access the gift tabs to see what rewards are available for allotted points.
Olivia Martin, senior social work major, said she is an active user of the app.
“I think it’s pretty cool. It’s a good incentive for people to not use their phones, but there are ways to get points while not in class,” Martin said. “My sorority house is really close to campus and I can check in while in Chapter meetings. It really helps with that as well.”
