“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” – Walt Kelly, Pogo
A couple of Apple investors want the tech giant to do more to fight smartphone addiction among children. Their open letter cites alarming evidence that smartphone and social media use can lead to distraction, depression and addiction. A growing number of Silicon Valley leaders have also been out sounding the alarm, as I have for years.
More: The Alarming Link Between Teen Depression, Suicide and Smartphone Use
The thing is, Apple, Facebook and the rest of big tech already provide settings and tools for parents to help control their children’s smartphone and social media use. Can they do more? Probably, but that’s not really the problem. Nobody wants to admit this, but the problem is you and me. The problem is the parents.
All the good parents I know severely limit their children’s use of technology they know to be harmful to their physical and mental development. Ironically, most tech executives I know do the same, and not just for their kids; adults are susceptible to the same issues. And who do you think sets the example and buys the phones for the kids?
More: How Facebook Exploited a ‘Vulnerability in Human Psychology’ to Addict Billions
Congress is also getting into the act on this. Why am I not surprised. As usual, the bureaucrats are aiming at the wrong target — Apple — but hey, at least it makes them look like they’re doing their jobs. Sheesh.
I have a message for all the elites, politicians, investors, activists, academics, opportunists, attention seekers and cause junkies climbing on the bandwagon so they can look like do-gooders and get some feel-good PR (are you listening, Tony Fadell?): This is a parental problem — a you problem — not a tech problem.
In the immortal words of Pogo cartoonist Walt Kelly, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” What we need is a little less finger pointing and a lot more good parenting, personal accountability and self-discipline.
Image credit Kroejsanka Mediteranka via Flickr
But, but… then we’d be responsible, and our leaders kept telling us we need more government legislation to solve all our problems. When there’s a cop on every corner and a social worker in every house, will we then realize we had God-given choices and consequences? People don’t choose prison, the choose to avoid responsibility and end up in prison. Truly the US constitution was only sufficient for the government of a moral people.
I completely agree with you Steve. Why are we pretending that mobile phones are a necessity? If parents have an emergency while kids are at school, the child does not need a phone. You merely call the school with details. If the child has an emergency at school, they can have the school call the parents or use the school phone to call. I have an Ooma VOIP and pay around $4/mo for it (after paying for the device). Obviously, you’d need internet at home for this to work. So kids can call Mom or Dad when they arrive home after school. If you believe they really need a phone, an old-fashioned flip phone will do the job. They should not be on the internet unless it’s after homework and while Mom or Dad is watching. It’s a ridiculous expense and, as we all know, it’s robbing them of their brains and self-respect. We never had hours and hours of gossip time as children, why should they be encouraged to do this? In the meantime, they’re expecting us to pay for their school supplies, coats and hats and gloves, food programs, etc. If the parents could get their priorities in order and cut the cell bill, we’d all be better off.