Company Makes a Wristband Accessory to Stop you Spending too Much Money

Pre discussion questions

How do you think today’s product works?

Would you buy something to help you stop a bad habit?

Some of us get a big surprise when we find out we have spent too much money.

So a British company has made a wearable wristband that can help control you.

The wristband gives a small electric shock if you spend too much money. The wristband is connected to your bank accounts. It sends a shock to your wrist when your money goes below a threshold.

The device was designed to be a 'personal coach on your wrist. And it was designed to encourage you to make good habits. Also, it could even be used to help stop someone eating too much.

How the wristband works

First, you log into your credit card or bank account. 

Second, you connect the device and set a spending limit. 

Third, when you get close to your self-imposed spending limit, your phone will send a notification. 

Finally, if you go over the limit, the device named Pavlok will send an electric shock to your wrist.

British company Intelligent Environments has launched software that can link the wristband to your bank accounts.

The device uses what is known as Pavlovian Conditioning. This is a psychological term that means that people will do something for reward or punishment. And so it is designed to help stop bad habits.

The idea is that the device will teach you to make and keep good habits because bad habits will have a negative result. In this way you make new habits.

Willpower is great if you have it. But not everybody has willpower, so they need some help.

But some people worry about security problems. They say that innovative devices are sometimes more in danger of security problems.

They say that the device can connect to a customer’s bank account, which could leave the door open for cybercriminals to get your bank details.

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=3, B=1, C=7, D=4, E=6, F=2, G=5

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1. The threshold to enter this university is a GPA of 3.7.

2. My mother always encouraged me to do well in school.

3. It is better to self-impose discipline in your life rather than someone else control you.

4. Next year we will launch the X2 model.

5. He has no willpower, that is why he can’t lose weight.

6. Smart phones were a huge innovation from previous phones.

7. I was lucky that they left the door open for the job if I decided to take the job offer later.

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1. Do you think a spending threshold would be good for you?

2. Would you need this product to encourage you to control your spending?

3. Are you good at self-imposing control on yourself? Describe your willpower.

4. Is there an innovative product you would like to see launched?

5. What is one of the most innovative products you know? Do you think this product is an innovation?

6. Do you agree that this product leaves the door open to cybercriminals?

7. How much would you pay for this product?