Two major shareholders of Apple have urged the company to address technology addiction among the children. The representatives from the California State Teachers’ Retirement System and Jana Partners LLC point to the studies that have warned of potential negative consequences for children. The representatives concede they are not software engineers or doctors but they argue there is a need to conduct further research and better understand the issue. The letter insists Apple has an ethical obligation to study the issue as it is one of the leading technology companies, “It would defy common sense to argue that this level of usage, by children whose brains are still developing, is not having at least some impact,or that the maker of such a powerful product has no role to play in helping parents to ensure it is being used optimally.” (Miller, 2018). Dr. Michael Rich of Harvard University’s Center on Media and Child Health helped craft the message. The authors made five suggestions in the letter including new parental tools. Other tech leaders including two former Facebook executives have also expressed concerns about the potential negative effects of social media and technology on children (Miller, 2018).
This letter is a step in the right direction. The authors of the letter have enhanced their credibility by pointing to formal research studies. They are not the only ones in having these concerns as other tech leaders have also spoken out. Hence, this issue is worth studying due to the huge stakes involved. While the issue might have been formally studied in recent years only, I know many parents who have complained about changing behaviors among children due to technology addiction. Other stakeholders such as educators have also spoken out and some have gone as far as banning devices in the classroom. Apple is a major technology company so it has a social responsibility to study the problem and provide assistance in developing potential solutions.
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- Miller, Hayley. “Investors Urge Apple To Tackle ‘Growing’ Evidence Of Device Addiction In Kids.” Huffington Post, 8 Jan. 2018, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/apple-investors-digital-addiction_us_5a538d4fe4b003133eca86f7. Accessed 20 Feb. 2018./li>
