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Big Kids

08th Jan 2018

People are urging Apple to tackle children’s addiction to social media

They argue they are negatively affecting kids' health.

Jade Hayden

apple

People are urging Apple to tackle young people’s and children’s addiction to iPhones and social media.

The tech company are being asked by two of their major investors to include more tools to stop children from becoming addicted to their products.

They believe that not doing so will be damaging to the next generation and that Apple should be paying “special attention” to the health of its younger users.

Sky News reports that in an open letter written to the company by Jana Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, they said:

“As one of the most innovative companies in the history of technology, 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.”

The letter referenced multiple studies that show the negative effects of smartphones like the iPhone on children’s mental and physical health.

It also showed how smartphones can be linked to risks of depression and suicide in young people.

“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,” they wrote.