Investors Urge Apple to Do More to Protect Children From Smartphone Addiction [Updated]

[fearcake]

... but is it the responsibility of the platform maker to govern that...

or maybe it should be the kids *parents*?

No one is asking Apple to make decisions about their kids. Their asking for tools. I buy my kid a midrange smartphone so I can track him and make sure he has a phone with the option of learning to use the technology responsibly. He’s a kid though and going to tend to abuse the situation.

Why with this amazing computer in our hands can I not lock down his phone on a more granular scale? Why can’t I lock him out for certain periods? Why can’t I lock out specific apps instead? What if I want him to have a phone at school but not access to Facebook? It’s about tools.

Sure I can just take it away and it’s what I do now but why such a low tech solution? I’d love to be able to set reasonable and specific limitations with this amazing technology we supposedly have. I mean Apple even cripples third parties from being able to effectively provide these services.

 

[jones_jj]

Yes, it’s the parent’s job, but Apple should still add a Timelimit option to restrictions that parents could set.

They have, it's called take the device away...

 

[batchtaster]

"Dear Apple. Please make your devices less desirable and useful. Of course, you are the only company in the world that makes this kind of device and thus it falls to you entirely to be blamed and to become responsible for policing this."

They appear to be unaware these devices have Parental Control settings. https://support.apple.com/HT201304
As well as non-technical solutions: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-limit-your-kids-iphone-and-ipod-touch-usage/

People whined about kids and their GameBoys.
People whined about kids and their Walkmans.
People whined about kids and their record players.
People whined about kids and their LSD.
People probably whined about kids and their damn chisels and hieroglyphic selfie walls.

Stop pretending kids doing something other than what you want is a completely new thing.

 

[ancelrick]

The answer is very simple. Don't buy kids smartphones.

 

[5105973]

Well, the reason teachers aren't doing more is that they also want kids to be using phones for schoolwork. At least this is true in high school now.

My daughter also has to haul her laptop to school every day. It's ridiculous. I've never been told I HAD to bring a laptop to a class and I've been working on a PhD for a little while now, so it's not like I've not been to a college class recently.

Exactly, the schools are part of the problem. Smartphones and/or laptops are just assumed to be part of the student’s life.

Ours is not even a typical public middle school. It’s a small rural environment with an agricultural research program at its basis. Most of the day is spent applying science and mathematics and economics and history to running an agrarian based business. They’re also almost always out in the community doing everything from analyzing water and soil samples to visiting theater companies. It’s quite a fascinating program. I wish they would expand it to the high school levels.

They actually don’t get homework during the week. But the students and parents are expected to follow the school social media app postings practically 24x7. The holiday homework was an unexpected shock and for this school, it is new. This is the first year they’ve done this.

 

[unobtainium]

News flash to all the people repeating “parents, parents, parents.”

Lots of kids have terrible parents.

I don’t think Apple alone can solve the smartphone addiction problem, but making any progress will probably require effort from everyone.

 

[fearcake]

While I would say Apple DID open Pandora's box, it's up to all of us to determine how to use it and up to parents how much to let their kids use it. Why should this be put on Apple any more than alcoholism is put on beer and wine companies? Those companies go on their merry way marketing how fun it is to drink...while people's lives are ruined. It's no different. We as people determine what we do not the companies.

Maybe because one of Apples “features” is thier absolute control over hardware and software integration. This locks out many third party app makers from providing powerful parental controls.

People whine about parents needing to be parents but when parents ask companies to provide varied parental controls people then pull the “why should ‘insert company’ have to take care of your kids”.

 

[mfdavid]

Let's blame it all on the parents. Yeahhh! Cuz it's a very easy way to deal if it, even if we know it will make no difference.

Let's also allow back alcohol and tabaco ads everywhere. **** the kids. Let's make more money and blame it all on the lazy parents!

</sarcasm>

 

[fearcake]

How about a simple "put the phone down" or just take it from them. How hard is that?

That doesn’t teach responsible usage. It also doesn’t give me or other parents actual tools in knowing/limiting negative influences on said device when they do have it in their hands.

I should be able to lock out Snapchat, or Facebook or any other app I feel is inappropriate with out completely locking down the phone. Granular control actually allows kids to learn and experiment sith smartphone usage while allowing parents the peace of mind that they can do this safely.

 

[elemenohme]

Apple used to do a *lot* of human factors research, but it doesn't feel that way anymore (though I have no insight into what is happening inside the company).

Since they seem to be responding to user needs with things like "do not disturb while driving" hopefully they will make other controls a bit more obvious for parents... or even put together a few web pages that highlight the features already available for parents to manage their children's use of iOS devices.

EDIT: From the letter linked in the article, the investors make some reasonable suggestions on how Apple could do better:

"we think there are clear initial steps that Apple can follow, including:

Expert Committee: Convening a committee of experts including child development specialists (we would recommend Dr. Rich and Professor Twenge be included) to help study this issue and monitor ongoing developments in technology, including how such developments are integrated into the lives of children and teenagers.

Research: Partnering with these and other experts and offering your vast information resources to assist additional research efforts.

New Tools and Options: Based on the best available research, enhancing mobile device software so that parents (if they wish) can implement changes so that their child or teenager is not being handed the same phone as a 40-year old, just as most products are made safer for younger users. For example, the initial setup menu could be expanded so that, just as users choose a language and time zone, parents can enter the age of the user and be given age-appropriate setup options based on the best available research including limiting screen time, restricting use to certain hours, reducing the available number of social media sites, setting up parental monitoring, and many other options.

Education: Explaining to parents why Apple is offering additional choices and the research that went into them, to help parents make more informed decisions.

Reporting: Hiring or assigning a high-level executive to monitor this issue and issuing annual progress reports, just as Apple does for environmental and supply chain issues."

With all the billions of dollars in cash that Apple has on hand, these seem like small items that could have significant benefit.

 

[fearcake]

For a company that has such a small share of the total mobile device market and is constantly being reported as being a failure, it is amazing how often the word "Apple" appears in the title of click bait articles. Guess there is no point in asking Samsung or Android to take any action. Then again, maybe the authors of these articles know that only Apple users have the intelligence to read and understand the article.

Or android doesn’t lockdown the system so completely that third party apps can fill the space. I prefer iOS but the parental software I use on my sons phone is severely limited by Apples complete lockdown. It’s better than nothing but literally only slightly better than apples own lackluster restrictions. The android app can do immensely more. I just don’t hate my kid enough yet to make him use android.

 

[ParentOfThree]

Exactly my point, the onus is not removed because the child has parents, we have safety on guns, age limits on adulterants, when the data show that this is bad for kids there is no harm in holding the companies responsible for at least providing options. This is not legal action against them, government overstepping bounds, it is the people that hold some of their purse strings saying we want this. This happens in business every day, and when people react violently against such things, it is generally because they see it as control. Well they too have the option that if apple shareholders want the change, and apple implements changes, it that ruffles apple user's feathers they always have other options of who to buy their tech from. This is a simple supply and demand principal, as we adopt the digital world, we have a demand for better parenting tools to exist in it, the shareholders see the demand and rise to meet it, all business, nothing Orwellian or insidious about it, and the door swings both ways. Have a kid, want them to no t have to be shielded by the tech, give *it* an off switch, then parent on your own terms. Nothing wrong with options.

 

[theMaccer]

its like asking drug dealers to stop drug addiction

 

[MacTiki]

The argument is somewhat akin to tobacco use

Did you open a can of worms?

From my perspective the purpose of tobacco products is to produce wealth for its manufacturers, the healthcare industry and the government while having a negative and/or deadly impact not only on it’s consumer but third parties. (Second hand smoke, grieving friends and family and medical expenses.)

Why are they allowed to sell a product that produces such devastating results? Could it be MONEY

Why do people defend the availability of tobacco? Could it be the voice of addiction?

Could screen addiction have just as devastating results as tobbaco? Will a time come when studies show stunted mental and social development and possibly even physical harm?

 

[Recognition]

While we're at it, lets urge cutlery makers to combat obesity.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I am not exactly sure what Apple can do but my own perception is that this is becoming a serious thread to young children and teenagers.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

This is not at all a complex issue. It's called PARENTING. People should try it.
[doublepost=1515427041][/doublepost]This is nothing new. When I was a teen ager, I was addicted to my Commodore 64 and Amiga computers. I would be barricaded inside my room for days while I was coding and doing other things kids my age could only dream about. I would forget to eat. This has been going on for decades, it's just more prevalent now because what used to be a niche obsession for a few has become the norm for the many.

 

[diamond3]

So I haven't read the entire thread, but I'm assuming everyone completely defending apple must have some serious beef with the Parental controls already in place? I think a middle ground that a lot of people are asking for is a more robust parental control. People aren't asking for Apple to parent their kids, they're asking for tools for parents to 'parent' their kid. I honestly think that could boost sales to younger kids if parents knew they could restrict things or monitor it a little more.

 

[ParentOfThree]

Did you open a can of worms?

From my perspective the purpose of tobacco products is to produce wealth for its manufacturers, the healthcare industry and the government while having a negative and/or deadly impact not only on it’s consumer but third parties. (Second hand smoke, grieving friends and family and medical expenses.)

Why are they allowed to sell a product that produces such devastating results? Could it be MONEY

Why do people defend the availability of tobacco? Could it be the voice of addiction?

Could screen addiction have just as devastating results as tobbaco? Will a time come when studies show stunted mental and social development and possibly even physical harm?

The data says yes, and that is the point I am going for, it is not any software vendors responsibility to dictate what my kids can and cannot do, it is mine and my wife's alone within rule of law. But there is an overwhelming realization that left unchecked these things are doing tangible and long term damage ranging from mental issues, depression, ergonomic issue, hearing loss, ability to engage in adult consequences before mentally mature enough to handle them, portable electronics are causing harm in ways we do not fully understand, and generations of children should not be a litmus test, we should have better ways to just be parents. Good parents are failing at this, good kids are failing at this, and with better controls we will not fix it in one round, but we can set precedent for change.

Something to enforce control while a child develops a sense OF self control.
This is no longer a change the channel, unplug the phone argument, it is a welcome to modern society, you cannot turn off the world and expect a healthy adolescence, you have to be taught to navigate it.

No one would their hand their child the keys and just say "Learn to drive that car" but they do it with mobile internet devices every day, and truth be told they are more likely to be cautions in the car than they are with the mistaken belief they are safe behind that screen...

You do not lean to skydive by jumping out of an airplane, you do not learn to survive by being dropped of in the middle of a jungle, full immersion ills of the world will thwart the best of parenting because of sheer volume without some boundaries.

 

[danielwsmithee]

If you see kids on smartphones and tablets nowadays, it's on some next level ****.

They are kids, they don't know the difference between responsible usage and addiction.

EDIT: I see many posts saying it is all down to the parents. Of course, parents have to be more responsible. But what about once the kid is older? Or out of sight? It could be to/from/at school. It could be on a sleepover. It could be "doing homework".

You can't police your child 24/7 or you end up like the recent Black Mirror episode "ArkAngel".

This is dialogue about enabling parents to remotely control limits on WiFi, data, certain app usage... Surely that's a good thing to talk about, especially when the MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN is at stake.

I agree with this completely. Apple could do a lot to step up their game as far as parental controls are concerned. The statistics that are coming out are alarming.

I don't think Apple is responsible for it and should be forced to do this, but I do actually think it is a good opportunity for them to provide a better service that parents desperately need. If done right the iPhone would quickly become the smartphone of choice for parents with teenagers.

I'd like to see Apple adopt some of the same features as Circle by Disney but build it right into the OS so it applies to both Wifi and Cell Data usage, and is controlled via iCloud. It is not just about limiting harmful content, it also about limiting time, and receiving feedback on what the time spent on. A simple graph showing your daughter spend 3 hours a day on Instragram can open up a lot of needed conversations.

It seams like currently there are some decent tools available for Home Wifi and some less decent tools cell data. As a parent you have learn and pay for both. It is pain point for parents that is in need of a good product or service to address.

 

[TrentS]

Only give them access to a charger once every 48 hours.

Problem solved.

Until they secretly buy their own charger, or borrow a friends.

 

[danielwsmithee]

It's not up to Apple, it's up to the parents to control their children.

We aren't asking for Apple to Control anything. We just would be willing to pay good money for a service that makes managing our children's devices easier. I view this a business opportunity for Apple. I know many people that would pay an extra $10 a month for an iCloud Family Plan if included a much more comprehensive set of parental controls and reporting.

For example being able to set time Quotas for each App on the phone, or even each App category. The ability to quickly shutoff apps or app categories, reward them with more time etc.

Circle By Disney does a lot of this, but it has to use ARP spoofing to do it which just nasty and has a lot of negative side effects on your home network. Apple could offer something built directly into iOS, Mac OS using the iCloud family plan.

 

[bruinsrme]

Calling on Parents, please put your device down and parent your children

 

[ParentOfThree]

So I haven't read the entire thread, but I'm assuming everyone completely defending apple must have some serious beef with the Parental controls already in place? I think a middle ground that a lot of people are asking for is a more robust parental control. People aren't asking for Apple to parent their kids, they're asking for tools for parents to 'parent' their kid. I honestly think that could boost sales to younger kids if parents knew they could restrict things or monitor it a little more.

Absolutely, I have bought several based on that fact alone.
They wanted iPhones, I could not in good conscience.

 

[PhoneI]

I agree that Apple should get involved, but the responsibility lies primarily on parents, and it all starts with iPads, not iPhone. Kids get hooked up first with the ipads, which parents use to distract them while they go about their own businesses. I’m a parent myself and I also do that, but I am constantly policing myself to prevent them from spending too much time with electronics.

How the heck is Apple suppose to get involved? Maybe Microsoft and Sony should also get involved because of the countless hours my kids spend on the Playstation and XBox?