Two major Apple investors urge the company to develop strategies to avoid them.
Two Apple investors have urged the iPhone maker to take action to stop the addition to the Smartphone among children, highlighting growing concern about the effects of gadgets and social media among minors.
Jana Partners LLC , based in New York, and the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), noted in a letter to Apple that the company should offer more tools to help children fight addiction.
Among their proposals, they recommend the company improve the software of the smartphone so that parents have more options to protect the health of their children.
Between them, they control Apple shares worth $ 2 billion.
“There is a developing consensus around the world, including Silicon Valley, that the possible long-term consequences of new technologies must be considered, and no company can evade that responsibility,” the letter said.
” Apple can play a leading role, showing the industry that paying close attention to next-generation health and development is good business and the right thing to do.”
Both recommended that Apple establish an expert committee that includes child development specialists and offer more information to researchers.
“More than 10 years after the launch of the iPhone, it is cliché to point out the popularity of Apple devices among children and adolescents, as well as the concomitant growth in the use of social networks by this group.
“What is less known is that there is a growing body of evidence that, at least for some of the more frequent young users, this may be having unintended negative consequences,” the letter said.
The letter cites several studies and surveys on how intensive use of smartphones and social media negatively affects children’s mental and physical health.
Examples include distractions caused by digital technologies in the classrooms, a decreased ability of students to focus on tasks, and increased risks of suicide and depression.