b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 1 iPhones and Children Are a Toxic Pair, Say Two Big Apple Investors
https://www.wsj.com/articles/iphones-and-children-are-a-toxic-pair-say-two-
big-apple-investors-1515358834
"I feel tremendous guilt."
"I think we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of
how society works. That is truly where we are."
"I would encourage all of you, as the future leaders of the world, to really
internalize how important this is. If you feed the beast, that beast will
destroy you. If you push back on it you have a chance to control it and
reign it in."
"The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we've created are destroying
how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation,
mistruth. And it's not an American problem — this is not about Russians ads
. This is a global problem."
"So, we're in a really bad state of affairs right now, in my opinion. It is
eroding the core foundations of how people behave by and between each other
." | b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 2 It's not the phones themselves, its the apps specifically designed to be
addictive. Just like you cannot use subliminal messages in TV, the
application behavior ought to be regulated. Then the question is also, "
where are the parents in all of this?" | b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 3 OPEN LETTER FROM JANA PARTNERS AND CALSTRS TO APPLE INC.
https://thinkdifferentlyaboutkids.com/
January 6, 2018
Board of Directors
Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, California 95014
Ladies & Gentlemen,
JANA Partners LLC and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (“
we” or “us”) collectively own approximately $2 billion in value of shares
of Apple Inc. (“Apple” or “you”). As shareholders, we recognize your
unique role in the history of innovation and the fact that Apple is one of
the most valuable brand names in the world. In partnership with experts
including Dr. Michael Rich, founding director of the Center on Media and
Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School Teaching
Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School,
and Professor Jean M. Twenge, psychologist at San Diego State University and
author of the book iGen, we have reviewed the evidence and we believe there
is a clear need for Apple to offer parents more choices and tools to help
them ensure that young consumers are using your products in an optimal
manner. By doing so, we believe Apple would once again be playing a
pioneering role, this time by setting an example about the obligations of
technology companies to their youngest customers. As a company that prides
itself on values like inclusiveness, quality education, environmental
protection, and supplier responsibility, Apple would also once again be
showcasing the innovative spirit that made you the most valuable public
company in the world. In fact, we believe that addressing this issue now
will enhance long-term value for all shareholders, by creating more choices
and options for your customers today and helping to protect the next
generation of leaders, innovators, and customers tomorrow.
More than 10 years after the iPhone’s release, it is a cliché to point out
the ubiquity of Apple’s devices among children and teenagers, as well as
the attendant growth in social media use by this group. What is less well
known is that there is a growing body of evidence that, for at least some of
the most frequent young users, this may be having unintentional negative
consequences:
A study conducted recently by the Center on Media and Child Health and the
University of Alberta found that 67% of the over 2,300 teachers surveyed
observed that the number of students who are negatively distracted by
digital technologies in the classroom is growing and 75% say students’
ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased. In the past 3 to 5
years since personal technologies have entered the classroom, 90% stated
that the number of students with emotional challenges has increased and 86%
said the number with social challenges has increased. One junior high
teacher noted that, “I see youth who used to go outside at lunch break and
engage in physical activity and socialization. Today, many of our students
sit all lunch hour and play on their personal devices.”[i]
Professor Twenge’s research shows that U.S. teenagers who spend 3 hours a
day or more on electronic devices are 35% more likely, and those who spend 5
hours or more are 71% more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide than
those who spend less than 1 hour.[ii]
This research also shows that 8th graders who are heavy users of social
media have a 27% higher risk of depression, while those who exceed the
average time spent playing sports, hanging out with friends in person, or
doing homework have a significantly lower risk. Experiencing depression as
a teenager significantly increases the risk of becoming depressed again
later in life.[iii]
Also, teens who spend 5 or more hours a day (versus less than 1) on
electronic devices are 51% more likely to get less than 7 hours of sleep (
versus the recommended 9). Sleep deprivation is linked to long-term issues
like weight gain and high blood pressure.[iv]
A study by UCLA researchers showed that after 5 days at a device-free
outdoor camp, children performed far better on tests for empathy than a
control group.[v]
According to an American Psychological Association (APA) survey of over 3,
500 U.S. parents, 58% say they worry about the influence of social media on
their child’s physical and mental health, 48% say that regulating their
child’s screen time is a “constant battle,” and 58% say they feel like
their child is “attached” to their phone or tablet.[vi]
Some may argue that the research is not definitive, that other factors are
also at work, and that in any case parents must take ultimate responsibility
for their children. These statements are undoubtedly true, but they also
miss the point. The average American teenager who uses a smart phone
receives her first phone at age 10vii and spends over 4.5 hours a day on it
(excluding texting and talking).viii 78% of teens check their phones at
least hourly and 50% report feeling “addicted” to their phones.ix 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. It is also no secret that social media
sites and applications for which the iPhone and iPad are a primary gateway
are usually designed to be as addictive and time-consuming as possible, as
many of their original creators have publicly acknowledged.x According to
the APA survey cited above, 94% of parents have taken some action to manage
their child’s technology use, but it is both unrealistic and a poor long-
term business strategy to ask parents to fight this battle alone. Imagine
the goodwill Apple can generate with parents by partnering with them in this
effort and with the next generation of customers by offering their parents
more options to protect their health and well-being.
To be clear, we are not advocating an all or nothing approach. While expert
opinions vary on this issue, there appears to be a developing consensus
that the goal for parents should be ensuring the developmentally optimal
amount and type of access, particularly given the educational benefits
mobile devices can offer. For example, Professor Twenge’s research cited
above has revealed peak mental health levels among teenagers who use devices
1 hour or less a day, with teens engaging in this limited use happier than
teens who do not use devices at all. According to a study of more than 10,
000 North American parents conducted by researcher Alexandra Samuel, the
children of parents who focus primarily on denying screen access are more
likely to engage in problematic behaviors online than the children of
parents who take an active role in guiding their technology usage.xi
Likewise, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Research on
Media, Technology, and Health have found that while using a high number of
social media platforms daily is linked to depression and anxiety in young
adults, using a limited number does not have the same impact.xii
While these studies (and common sense) would suggest a balanced approach, we
note that Apple’s current limited set of parental controls in fact dictate
a more binary, all or nothing approach, with parental options limited
largely to shutting down or allowing full access to various tools and
functions. While there are apps that offer more options, there are a
dizzying array of them (which often leads people to make no choice at all),
it is not clear what research has gone into developing them, few if any
offer the full array of options that the research would suggest, and they
are clearly no substitute for Apple putting these choices front and center
for parents. As Apple understands better than any company, technology is
best when it is intuitive and easy to use. More importantly, technology
will continue to evolve as time goes on and play a greater and greater role
in all of our lives. There is a developing consensus around the world
including Silicon Valley that the potential long-term consequences of new
technologies need to be factored in at the outset, and no company can
outsource that responsibility to an app designer, or more accurately to
hundreds of app designers, none of whom have critical mass.
This is a complex issue and we hope that this is the start of a constructive
and well-informed dialogue, but we think there are clear initial steps that
Apple can follow, including:
Expert Committee: Convening a committee of experts including child
development specialists (we would recommend Dr. Rich and Professor Twenge be
included) to help study this issue and monitor ongoing developments in
technology, including how such developments are integrated into the lives of
children and teenagers.
Research: Partnering with these and other experts and offering your vast
information resources to assist additional research efforts.
New Tools and Options: Based on the best available research, enhancing
mobile device software so that parents (if they wish) can implement changes
so that their child or teenager is not being handed the same phone as a 40-
year old, just as most products are made safer for younger users. For
example, the initial setup menu could be expanded so that, just as users
choose a language and time zone, parents can enter the age of the user and
be given age-appropriate setup options based on the best available research
including limiting screen time, restricting use to certain hours, reducing
the available number of social media sites, setting up parental monitoring,
and many other options.
Education: Explaining to parents why Apple is offering additional choices
and the research that went into them, to help parents make more informed
decisions.
Reporting: Hiring or assigning a high-level executive to monitor this issue
and issuing annual progress reports, just as Apple does for environmental
and supply chain issues.
It is true that Apple’s customer satisfaction levels remain incredibly high
, which is no surprise given the quality of its products. However, there is
also a growing societal unease about whether at least some people are
getting too much of a good thing when it comes to technology,xiii which at
some point is likely to impact even Apple given the issues described above.
In fact, even the original designers of the iPhone user interface and Apple
’s current chief design officer have publicly worried about the iPhone’s
potential for overuse,xiv and there is no good reason why you should not
address this issue proactively. As one of the most innovative companies in
the history of technology, Apple can play a defining role in signaling 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. Doing
so poses no threat to Apple, given that this is a software (not hardware)
issue and that, unlike many other technology companies, Apple’s business
model is not predicated on excessive use of your products. In fact, we
believe addressing this issue now by offering parents more tools and choices
could enhance Apple’s business and increase demand for its products.
Increasingly today the gap between “short-term” and “long-term” thinking
is narrowing, on issues like public health, human capital management,
environmental protection, and more, and companies pursuing business
practices that make short-term sense may be undermining their own long-term
viability. In the case of Apple, we believe the long-term health of its
youngest customers and the health of society, our economy, and the Company
itself, are inextricably linked, and thus the only difference between the
changes we are advocating at Apple now and the type of change shareholders
are better known for advocating is the time period over which they will
enhance and protect value. As you can imagine, this is a matter of
particular concern for CalSTRS’ beneficiaries, the teachers of California,
who care deeply about the health and welfare of the children in their
classrooms.
While you may already have started work on addressing the issues raised here
, we would nonetheless appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter
further with the board to bring in a wider range of voices. We also
encourage you to discuss this matter directly with Dr. Rich, Professor
Twenge, or any member of JANA’s board of advisors for our new impact
investing fund, which includes Patricia A. Daly, OP, Professor Robert G.
Eccles, Sting, and Trudie Styler. In the meantime, should you wish to
contact us we can be reached at (212) 455-0900 or (916) 414-7410.
Sincerely,
Barry Rosenstein
Managing Partner
JANA Partners LLC
Anne Sheehan
Director of Corporate Governance
The California State Teachers' Retirement System | L****8
发帖数: 3938 | 4 王者荣耀
【在 b********n 的大作中提到】
: It's not the phones themselves, its the apps specifically designed to be
: addictive. Just like you cannot use subliminal messages in TV, the
: application behavior ought to be regulated. Then the question is also, "
: where are the parents in all of this?"
| b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 5 A study conducted recently by the Center on Media and Child Health and the
University of Alberta found that 67% of the over 2,300 teachers surveyed
observed that the number of students who are negatively distracted by
digital technologies in the classroom is growing and 75% say students’
ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased. In the past 3 to 5
years since personal technologies have entered the classroom, 90% stated
that the number of students with emotional challenges has increased and 86%
said the number with social challenges has increased. One junior high
teacher noted that, “I see youth who used to go outside at lunch break and
engage in physical activity and socialization. Today, many of our students
sit all lunch hour and play on their personal devices.”[i]
【在 L****8 的大作中提到】
: 王者荣耀
| b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 6 Professor Twenge’s research shows that U.S. teenagers who spend 3 hours a
day or more on electronic devices are 35% more likely, and those who spend 5
hours or more are 71% more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide than
those who spend less than 1 hour.[ii] | b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 7 Also, teens who spend 5 or more hours a day (versus less than 1) on
electronic devices are 51% more likely to get less than 7 hours of sleep (
versus the recommended 9). Sleep deprivation is linked to long-term issues
like weight gain and high blood pressure.[iv] | Y***i
发帖数: 1932 | 8 好多小孩玩这个不好好上学
很可怕
【在 L****8 的大作中提到】
: 王者荣耀
| b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 9 A study by UCLA researchers showed that after 5 days at a device-free
outdoor camp, children performed far better on tests for empathy than a
control group.[v] | L****8
发帖数: 3938 | 10 精神鸦片
现实世界不好玩
【在 Y***i 的大作中提到】
: 好多小孩玩这个不好好上学
: 很可怕
| | | b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 11 毒苹果
【在 Y***i 的大作中提到】
: 好多小孩玩这个不好好上学
: 很可怕
| L****8
发帖数: 3938 | 12 上学听不懂老师讲课
不如玩王者荣耀
【在 b********n 的大作中提到】
: 毒苹果
| s*****r
发帖数: 11545 | 13 没准因果倒置鸟。。。就好比说天天在实验室撸管的人很可能套不着老婆那样。
: Professor Twenge’s research shows that U.S. teenagers who spend 3
hours a
: day or more on electronic devices are 35% more likely, and those who
spend 5
: hours or more are 71% more likely, to have a risk factor for suicide
than
: those who spend less than 1 hour.[ii]
【在 b********n 的大作中提到】
: 毒苹果
| Y***i
发帖数: 1932 | | b********n
发帖数: 38600 | 15 损人不利己
【在 Y***i 的大作中提到】
: 王者荣耀的研发工程师肯定不让自己小孩玩
|
|
