Apple urged to protect kids from smartphones
Investors voice growing concern over technology addiction and devices’ effects on young minds
University of Toronto psychology professor Steve Joordens is well accustomed to seeing students stuck to their smartphones, whether on campus or in class.
But it wasn’t until his first grandchild, Ashley, was born six years ago that Joordens, who specializes in how memory is affected by such constant stimuli, finally got an iPhone and, ironically, wound up joining their ranks.
“I honestly went 46 years of my life not touching a smartphone, and now I’m as addicted as anyone else,” the 52-year-old said with a chuckle, as he juggled email, missed calls and actual human interruptions from students in his office while being interviewed.
“We were amazed that, by the age of 2, Ashley could locate the camera (on the iPhone) and swipe left and right looking at pictures. It’s so intuitive for children,” noted Joordens, who has even more distractions now with four more grandchildren in the mix.
His experience is hardly novel. In fact, two major Apple investors are urging the iPhone maker to be more socially responsible and take action to curb smartphone addiction among children because of growing concern about the effects of gadgets and social media on youngsters.
New York-based Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System said Saturday in an open letter to Apple that the company must offer more choices and tools to help children fight addiction to 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,” the letter said. “Apple can play a defining role in signalling 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.”
Letter to Apple cites studies on effects of smartphone and social media use, including classroom distraction, higher risks of suicide and depression
The two investors collectively control $2 billion (U.S.) worth of Apple shares.
Among their proposals to Apple: establish a committee of experts including child development specialists; offer Apple’s vast information to researchers; and enhance mobile device software so that parents have more options to protect their children’s health.
The letter cited various studies and surveys on how the heavy usage of smartphones and social media negatively affects children’s mental and physical health. Examples include distractions by digital technologies in the classroom, a decreased ability of students to focus on educational tasks and higher risks of suicide and depression.
One survey of teachers in Alberta that is quoted in the letter to Apple found that about two in three believed that digital technology was increasingly distracting their students. Research by a professor of psychology at San Diego State University suggests that the rise of digital technology may be linked to an increase in mental health problems among teenagers.
Joordens said there are no easy solutions to get children or adults away from tech devices regardless of which company makes them, and he knows it’s easy to get hooked, at any age. For the professor, who started teaching at U of T in 1995, it began with a desire to keep relatives connected and updated with his granddaughter’s baby pictures through iPhone’s “family sharing” feature. Plus, he loves music. Then it naturally morphed into many aspects of his life despite his best efforts to curb usage.
“We have rules in our family about using phones in the house, especially around the grandkids. But sometimes, when my wife is in the shower, I’ll check my email and respond to it. It feels like an accomplishment.”
It’s that random re-enforcement that sucks people in, he noted, much like a slot machine does for gamblers.
“I honestly went 46 years of my life not touching a smartphone, and now I’m as addicted as anyone else.” STEVE JOORDENS U OF T PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR
“We know that a lot of the time when we hear the beep (of an email or text) that it’s not important, but you never know the next time it might be. But occasionally and randomly, you know you will get a reward” such as a tweet with numerous shares or positive feedback from the boss in a email, which, for some, is like hitting the jackpot, he said.
What Joordens finds troubling is that dependency on tech gadgets is the most widespread addiction because the devices are legal at any age, unlike alcohol, drugs or gambling.
The investors’ call for action from Apple reflects growing concerns around the world about the longterm effects of using mobile devices and social media, especially for those who start to use smartphones at an early age.
Although tech companies have not acknowledged openly that their gadgets may be addictive, some Silicon Valley insiders have begun to speak to the media about how gadgets, mobile applications and social media are designed to be addictive and keep users’ attention as long as possible.
Apple has not yet responded to the letter.