Privil, a new app for iOS and Android devices, promises to keep user’s privilege in check. Grandt Sham, founder, notes in a press release that the number of people who either do not know or deny their privilege is proportionally high, and that as a social entrepreneur, he felt compelled to do something about it.
The app has two functionalities: it measures the user’s privilege and that of someone else’s, ensuring that you and your circle of friends are not suffering from excessive amounts of privilege.
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The app uses a minimalist design, sporting camera, text input and rewards features.
But how does it work? Say you have just moved into a beach house in California or have bought a new 95-inch television, you can take a picture of it and let the app calculate your privilege.
Users can visit their childhood homes and take pictures of their old rooms and their childhood toys. Sham says privilege tends to sink its roots into a family’s lineage, so he suggests that users should visit their parents and grandparents’ homes too.
The app also uses a reward system for those making efforts to bring their privilege score down. Users can earn points by giving away some of their positions to the less fortunate, take a picture whilst doing this, load them on the app and earn points. The points can be used to buy off privilege.
Sham explains that the app is not a foolproof gauge as privilege is a complicated thing, but he says that it aims to promote change in society. Sham hopes that the app will allow privileged people to better improve the lives of the less fortunate.
Starting next week, the app will be tested at Cape Town’s trendiest suburbs and streets.
