Nick Herbert, a 47-year-old father from the U.K., introduced a revolutionary app in August 2017 that addresses the challenge of connecting with absent-minded children. The app, RespondASAP, was born out of a father’s concern for staying in touch with his son, Ben, especially during crucial moments.
Dad Innovates with App to Strengthen Parent-Child Communication
The Communication Gap When Ben started secondary school (high school), Nick noticed a significant drop in his son’s responsiveness to messages and texts. This lack of communication left Nick frustrated and worried. Upon discussing the issue with Ben, they realized that the teen was unintentionally missing messages due to his phone being on silent, watching videos, or ignoring texts when with friends. This led to the realization that there needed to be a way to ensure they could get a hold of each other during urgent situations.
On Lockdown (Temporarily!)
Driven by the need to bridge the communication gap, Nick set out to create an app to address this father-son challenge. He envisioned an app that would allow him to “take over” Ben’s phone temporarily when sending urgent messages. The result was RespondASAP, an app that empowers parents to send alarmed messages that override silent mode and provide read receipts.
For privacy and consent, the app requires mutual installation and agreement between both parties—parents and children. Both sides can alert each other to urgent messages and temporarily suspend phone functions if needed. The primary intent is to use RespondASAP for truly urgent situations, making it a reliable tool for seamless communication.
How it Works When a user receives a message from RespondASAP, their phone screen turns blue, displaying the sent message prominently, with response options below. Users can choose to delay or “snooze” their response if they are unable to answer immediately.
The phone will continue to sound the alarm until the response is made or snoozed. As soon as the response is sent, the phone’s full functionality is restored. Currently available for Android phones, Nick is actively working on an iOS version to cater to a broader user base.
One App, Many Possibilities Since its launch, RespondASAP has been envisioned with numerous novel applications. Beyond parent-child communication, the app can help find lost phones, alert colleagues in time-sensitive work situations, or even modify drink orders when friends are at the bar.
For those friends who are constantly on silent and unreachable, a parental control app can be a game-changer. Many apps offer multi-user options that can connect up to twenty people at once, all without in-app or message-related costs.
In the world of ever-evolving technology, RespondASAP stands out as a solution to strengthen parent-child bonds and ensure vital connections during critical moments. Nick Herbert’s ingenuity has given parents a powerful tool to enhance communication with their children, making RespondASAP a valuable asset for modern families.
Sources:
