Red Bull Energy Study Rooms lead students to put phones away

The popularity and widespread availability of smartphones and mobile devices among college students in China has lowered their study efficiency, experts worry, but leading beverage company Red Bull says it has developed a solution for students who are addicted to phones and mobile devices - so they can concentrate on their studies.

Red Bull has set up what it calls virtual Energy Study Rooms where students can register their smartphones online and lock the internet service while studying by themselves.

Red Bull says the continuity of spending 45 minutes at one go in this scenario offers its rewards. Many students and teachers reportedly found the idea of "not being socially connected all the time" discomforting, but soon realized its positive effect in boosting the quality of their studies.