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Apple CEO Tim Cook Discusses Overusing Technology in New Interview
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I would bet almost anything that Tim couldn’t code a single thing in any language. Which make him a huge hypocrite. But that’s not really unexpected.
I've been researching this issue for the last 60 hours straight on my iPhone. I remain undecided.
It's only weird if you only read the headline and not TC's full quote in context:
The headline can lead the reader to infer meaning other than what TC's is actually saying.
TC does say their are limits to tech and it should not be the beginning, middle, and end, of one's life or learning experiences. OTOH the headline text only could lead one to believe he is saying the opposite.
I disagree with your premise that no one is advocating for the overuse of technology. Google's entire business model is to hook us on tech so it can collect data and sell ads. Amazon is increasingly going this way too as it increases its array of Internet of Things devices.
Facebook and Twitter need users to be online 24/7 reading, posting, commenting, or just browsing with a FB or Twitter cookie firmly embedded in their browser. Kids get sucked into Instagram as early as elementary school with help of silly filters. These things have become the entrance to having a social life, but also make bullying easier than ever. But social media sites have yet to truly face up to this and install use or other limits.
This tech was once an organic phenomena. But once companies found out there were fortunes to be made, yes, they started advocating for it to be life, not just a part of it. Tech is no different than soda companies.
That said I think TC is a little bit disingenuous because many of Apple's latest products like the MBP with it's Anime touch bar and iOS 10+ with Stickers, and the iPhone X with Animoji, only make tech more addictive to kids and lower productivity. They are neither learning nor work tools. TC says he won't let his nephew on social media but somehow these trinkets are OK for the rest of the world.
Tim Cook's words go against what Apple are doing - Don't preach but limit the hardware by not providing the software! Case in point, they sell iPads saying they are laptop/PC/desktop etc replacements and have no way publish apps to the app store! The current app is minimal at best and nothing more than a proof of concept demo based on scenarios.
Make a full version of XCode for the iPad, then you can bang that coding drum all you like Tim!! Currently a developer needs a Mac running Mac OS and then you need an iOS device to test on. Looking at the lowest of Apple hardware that runs at £1200 in the UK (Laptop and iPad refurbished!), so banging the drum and saying ''every child needs to code'' is a great slogan BUT where's the low priced Mac hardware to allow this to happen, or where is the iOS Xcode version?!
Make a full version of XCode for the iPad, then you can bang that coding drum all you like Tim!! Currently a developer needs a Mac running Mac OS and then you need an iOS device to test on. Looking at the lowest of Apple hardware that runs at £1200 in the UK (Laptop and iPad refurbished!), so banging the drum and saying ''every child needs to code'' is a great slogan BUT where's the low priced Mac hardware to allow this to happen, or where is the iOS Xcode version?!
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I don't know, I've read somewhere he'd actually written some code in the past, but this sounds like something a person who has no experience whatsoever in software engineering would say.
Coding is not a language. Software development doesn't really revolve around languages. Programming languages are just tools used by programmers to do their job. They come and go and knowledge of one certain language doesn't make you a programmer (coder, developer, whatever word you like). And it surely won't help you converse with 7 billion people. I know it's a metaphor but even then it doesn't make any sense.
I'm happy to report it is taught in primary schools (ages 4 - 11) here in the UK, as a core subject like English, Maths and Science.
Because we all know one must be a parent to legitimately be concerned about the impact of social networking on young people.
Tim Cook, take your money and go. Apple needs someone else at the helm.
Tim if you won’t let your nephew use social media give us granular controls that allow parents to block any app at any time so we can block Facebook twitter Instagram Snapchat et all. (allow us to automatically schedule app blocking) give us even more control to be able to blacklist and whitelist websites. Allow us to put lock apps with codes Face ID and Or Touch ID. Allow us to block settings safari messages and all Apple made apps to minus the phone. Leave it up to each parent how to parent their kids.
Where did we get this idea that everyone needs to code? I’m pretty sure if everyone learned to code, there would be a glut in the software engineer market. What we need is balance. (Actually in the long run, tech might make so many jobs irrelevant that we will need an alternative to the job market entirely.)
Technically not wrong, but agree that it’s easily misinterpreted. Cook’s saying “I don’t believe one should overuse technology,” but as written the headline suggests “I don’t believe it’s possible to overuse technology.” Good call.
Apple this morning announced the expansion of its "Everyone Can Code" initiative to 70 educational institutions across Europe, and following the announcement, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke at Harlow College in Essex, one of the schools that will adopt the new curriculum.
The Guardian shared several of Cook's comments, which covered overuse of technology and boundaries for children.
...
On the topic of learning to code, Cook spoke passionately, as he has done several times in the past. Learning to code, he says, is more important than learning a foreign language.Cook's full commentary, which covers diversity, coding at an early age, and the importance of the press, can be read over at The Guardian.
Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: I Don't Believe in Overuse of Technology
Here are an A-Z of jobs that do not today, and most likely never will require coding ability or experience (and these are not the only jobs for each letter for which this applies):
Artist
Bartender
Carer
Doctor (medical)
Editor
Fitness trainer
Grounds keeper
Hairdresser
Interpreter
Janitor
Kindergarten teacher
Librarian
Mathematician (pure)
Nurse
Office clerk
Pastor / priest
Quality control inspector
Reporter
Solicitor
Translator
Undertaker (funeral director)
Veterinarian (vet)
Waiter / waitress
X-ray technician
Youth worker
Zoning inspector / zoning officer (municipal / regional planning, zoning & lands)
But good luck trying to do any of those in a foreign country or community that does not speak your native language, without knowledge of that foreign country's or community's language!
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“T” is for tech and it’s likely near the top of the job market in the US. In the US you may not even have to speak English to get a job.
Give specific examples or you’re just hating to hate.
Cook represents the company. He doesn’t make all decisions and control every single thing that comes out of Apple, including some battery issues.
He’s led the company to an all time high valuation and sold more devices in all segments than Jobs ever managed to sell. Apple continues to grow every year he’s been CEO.
Apple has the best mobile silicon in the industry and has the best selling watch, something new under Cook’s leadership. Services revenue has grown tremendously under Cook and they ship 3X as many iPhones as they did 5 years ago.
None of those require a foreign language, but almost all of them require coding to exist in the current world. Think you can be a doctor in the US without any programmers to support you, even if you don’t know them? LOL
The difference is, many of those jobs require coding and programming on the backend to make the machines doctors use work, software to run medical hardware, etc. We live in a world of specialization. I don’t think any of us or Cook have illusions about a doctor coding his own medical software. You know how much coding goes into X-Ray tech? The behind
Don't forget us Travel Industry people (Flight Crew, Ground Crew, Airport Operations, Trains, Car Rental, etc.) and those who are Multilingual tend to get the jobs over those who are not... (and I'm not talking C++)...
The money for coding education is all in Europe. Tim Cook and Apple are invested in Europe and Asia and not at all invested in the US.
I value this man's opinion as much as I value my dongles, apple remote, and siri put together. Which is nothing