Whose responsibility is it to monitor a child’s use of an iPhone - Parents or Apple?

[Just_Me_D]

It blows my mind to read how investors are pressuring Apple to do more to prevent children from getting addicted to their screens or prevent their iPhone addiction. What the heck kind of crap is that? So now Apple has to become a friggin’ nanny? What are your thoughts about it?

 

[TripleOne]

Parents 100%

 

[scruffypig]

Parents.

 

[taz323]

Parents!

 

[robertk328]

Parents, though you can get help with apps/devices like Disney's Circle.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Parents, though you can get help with apps/devices like Disney's Circle.

I understand that, but a suggestion that Apple do more to prevent kids from being addicted to their iPhones is absurd to ‘me’, especially when kids, regardless of smartphone brand, do almost everything online. What about the schools who provide homework to them that directs them to various websites or having to go online just to view your report card? Online tutoring?

 

[robertk328]

I understand that, but a suggestion that Apple do more to prevent kids from being addicted to their iPhones is absurd to ‘me’, especially when kids, regardless of smartphone brand, do almost everything online. What about the schools who provide homework to them that directs them to various websites or having to go online just to view your report card? Online tutoring?

Well considering many parents are addicted too, it's a tough spot.

 

[Quis89]

Did you guys read the letter by chance? They aren't calling for Apple to be a nanny at all, honestly. They are simply requesting that Apple provides tools to assist parents in this. They also cite strong evidence that shows some of the struggles parents are having with this considering how active technology is in the classroom. They mention how it's unrealistic to assume parents can fight this alone. I agree that it's ultimately the parents responsibility (and the letter says the same thing). But I see no issue with Apple offering tools to assist in this. Parenting now is vastly different than parenting when I was a child. And unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who are parenting in a generation of technology vastly different than when they were a child. So it's reasonable to assume they may seek a little assistance with this.

The educational sector seems to have a solid approach to this. There are MDM platforms that really allow you to limit quite a bit with devices. So in 1:to:1 environments, teachers can have real fine grained access to the devices they deploy and have better control over what their students are doing. Having controls like that for parents wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

The letter mentions how an "All or nothing" approach can have negative consequences, and that's really all that's available right now.

 

[Quis89]

Well considering many parents are addicted too, it's a tough spot.

I think this is an important point. One could say the reasoning is because parents were given access to this technology with no understanding of it. Technological dependence is a real thing that is only now being investigated. There are studies proving it's existence. Reading the letter, the investors are looking for Apple to be an innovator in this arena. Responsible tools to encourage the responsible use and managing of our devices. It's possible that it could lead to less technological dependence in the future if today's youth are better prepared to handle technology going forward.

 

[tadpoles]

Definitely parents responsibility but I agree having tools to assist would be helpful. That being said, why wouldn’t Apple want kids or anyone else to be addicted to their products? Apple is not some angelic out-to-do-good charity. They’re out to make the most money possible and I’m not sure they’d mind if their customers were addicted to their products.

Perhaps I’m too skeptical/cynical.

 

[MaxSmarties]

Absolutely and ONLY parents responsibility

 

[Annie_M]

Parents 100%

 

[anon(4697585)]

Parents!

Having better tools to combat the times when you do forget or the child uses it without parents knowing would be good.

There are methods now like time restrictions on a router but they aren’t as good as iOS Restrictions

 

[scruffypig]

Did you guys read the letter by chance? They aren't calling for Apple to be a nanny at all, honestly. They are simply requesting that Apple provides tools to assist parents in this. They also cite strong evidence that shows some of the struggles parents are having with this considering how active technology is in the classroom. They mention how it's unrealistic to assume parents can fight this alone. I agree that it's ultimately the parents responsibility (and the letter says the same thing). But I see no issue with Apple offering tools to assist in this. Parenting now is vastly different than parenting when I was a child. And unfortunately, there are a lot of parents who are parenting in a generation of technology vastly different than when they were a child. So it's reasonable to assume they may seek a little assistance with this.

The educational sector seems to have a solid approach to this. There are MDM platforms that really allow you to limit quite a bit with devices. So in 1:to:1 environments, teachers can have real fine grained access to the devices they deploy and have better control over what their students are doing. Having controls like that for parents wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

The letter mentions how an "All or nothing" approach can have negative consequences, and that's really all that's available right now.

Anyone is free to download Apple’s configuration tool, though it may be a bit daunting for average parents who don’t need the everything that Apple’s configuration too provides.

 

[Just_Me_D]

...I agree that it's ultimately the parents responsibility ....

Thank you...

 

[Quis89]

Anyone is free to download Apple’s configuration tool, though it may be a bit daunting for average parents who don’t need the everything that Apple’s configuration too provides.

Are you referencing Apple Configurator 2? If so, that’s not really what parents would be using. That’s more to set up multiple devices.

 

[johnmoore13]

Parents need to get off their bums and be parents! Kids 12 and under shouldn’t have phones or computers of their own!

 

[metllicamilitia]

It’s always the parents’ responsibility, however, I agree that there could be tools to help with that. Like how Amazon has some awesome parental controls on the Kindle Fire’s.

 

[anon(5630457)]

Parents are 100% responsible for anything their kids do or come across on their devices.

 

[anon(50597)]

Parents ultimately but corporations should help with tools to keep kids safe, there is nothing wrong with that.
If you take your children to Disney World, you expect them to do what they can to create a safe environment. This way you can enjoy the experience with less worry. This is a similar situation the way I look at it.