HOW APPLE CAN PROTECT CHILDREN FROM TOXIC EFFECTS

Smartphone maker Apple Inc. has been urged to respond to the public-health crisis of youth phone addiction, amidst growing concerns about the effect gadgets and social media has on young children who use them

Two major investors Jana Partners LLC based in New York and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System have called on Apple to develop software that limits how long children can use its smartphones in order to reduce the growing addiction.
In an open letter to the tech giant, the two shareholders warned that Apple needs to lead the way in giving parents and their children more powerful ways of keeping phone use in check.
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The investors raised concerns that Apple’s stock market value and general reputation could be damaged if the company does not address growing concerns about smartphone use.
“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.
“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,” the letter stated.

They insist that the company must offer more choices and tools to help children fight addiction to its devices. They also want the company to study the effects of heavy usage on mental health.
The investors cited several studies revealing the negative effects of smartphones and social media on children’s mental and physical health. For example, one study found that 67 percent of over 2,300 teachers surveyed believe that the number of students who are negatively distracted by gadgets in the classroom is growing, while 75 percent say students’ ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased.