Parents need to set rules for kids, tech

Apple could set example, but ultimately, parents are responsible

Two Apple investors are encouraging the company to help battle smartphone addiction among children, according to the Associated Press.

Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System urged the company to offer more choices and tools to help children fight addiction to its devices, the AP reports.

“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 letter said, citing studies on the negative effects of smartphones and social media on children’s mental and physical well-being, AP reports.

The notion is a good one, but there’s one glaring problem here: parents should be on top of this already.

Apple might have some responsibility to warn people that there is an addictive nature to cellphone use, especially when it comes to apps, but Apple isn’t alone in that. So too is every other smartphone producer.

The company does have the opportunity to lead the charge here, setting a tone as a leader in the industry, and odds are, people will listen.

However, it’s not up to Apple to set limits for children, nor is it the company’s responsibility to force the issue. That responsibility falls to parents.

Parents should be having ongoing conversations with their children about their smartphone or tablet usage, monitoring apps, and keeping track of their social media consumption. That doesn’t mean monitoring every text message, but having conversations about healthy behavior vs. unhealthy interactions.

It’s also important for parents to set time limits, as well as limits on how and where a phone or tablet can be used. For example, a child might be OK with 30 minutes of tech time a night, but when that time is up, that’s it for the night. Or, allow tech time after homework is done, but don’t allow it at the dinner table.

Parents are responsible for teaching from the moment a child is born. How to properly use technology is one more responsibility that a parent must handle. Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.