Two of the largest investors in Apple is putting pressure on the iPhone makers to take abrupt action against smartphone obsession among children, especially teens over growing concerns about the effects of technology and social media on the youth. The addiction of smartphones is not only affecting the mental health and grades of several students but also their physical health, as many children are seen using smartphones sitting in awkward positions for prolonged hours.
Many famous technologists including Steve Jobs himself have been reported to have been worried about the effects of technology on their own children, limiting the amount their kids could use the internet and phones and tablets. In a 2012 interview, asked whether his kids loved the iPad, Jobs famously said, “We don’t allow the iPad in the home. We think it’s too dangerous for them.”
Now the investors have warned the late founder’s company to take some action and put a stop on increasing smartphone addiction in the younger generation.
In an open letter to Apple on Monday, New York-based Jana Partners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) said the company must do more to help children fight addiction on its devices.
“There is a developing consensus around the world including Silicon Valley that the potential long-term consequences of new technologies need to be factored in at the outset, and no company can outsource that responsibility,” said the investors, who collectively control $2bn of Apple stock.
“Apple can play a defining role in signaling to the industry that paying special attention to the health and development of the next generation is both good business and the right thing to do.”
The group commended Apple to offer tools to help children avoid obsession over their products and give parents more options to protect their children’s health through monitoring. Apple’s iOS already allows restricted parental controls, including restrictions on apps, use of features such as location sharing and access to certain kinds of content.
The investors mentioned several studies on the adverse effects on children’s mental and physical health caused by the frequent usage of smartphones and social media. These issues range from distractions in the classroom and lack of focus on studies to higher risks of suicide and misery.
The investors made some suggestions as well saying that Apple should permit parents to be able to put limits such as age limits, hours of the day the phone can be used and block certain social media services etc. They also proposed that Apple should develop an expert committee including child development specialists, which should produce annual reports, and offer Apple’s vast information to researchers on the issue so that more work can be done in helping children getting rid of this addiction.
The open letter shows rising concerns on the long-term impact of technology such as smartphones and social media on children. Technological firms still haven’t publicly recognized these issues but even Silicon Valley heads have started to realize the threat and have raised the alarm.
