Tim Cook says kids need boundaries in exchange for lots of screen time

Technique

by Thomas Baraby

April 4, 2023 | 10:54 a.m

Apple chief Tim Cook has insisted he supports limiting screen time for kids — even as the iPhone maker continues to rely heavily on device sales to boost revenue for its business.

Cook suggested that parents and administrations should consider limiting smartphone use as part of an overall process Interview with GQ magazine Released Monday. His comments came after a GQ reporter said his young son was “obsessed” with his smartphone.

“Children are born digital, and they are digital children now,” Cook said during the interview. “And I think it’s really important to put some tough stuff around it.”

“We don’t want people to use our phones too much,” the Apple CEO added. We do not encourage this. We don’t want that. We provide the tools so people don’t.”

Apple generated more than $205 billion in net sales of iPhones in fiscal 2022 alone, according to company filings issued in September. The number represents the company’s record.

Cook noted that Apple offers an app called “Screen Time,” which tracks phone usage and allows parents to set limits on device usage, downloads, and content for their children.

“We’re trying to get people tools to help them turn off the phone,” Cook said. Because my philosophy is, if you’re looking at a phone more than you’re looking into someone’s eyes, you’re doing the wrong thing.

Cook said he views his screen time report “very religiously”.

This isn’t the first time Cook has grumbled about using the phone. In 2020, the CEO said “External Podcast” He had reduced the app’s notifications after noticing his screen time was “too high”.

Cook’s remarks about smartphone overuse came as big tech companies across the sector face increased scrutiny from federal lawmakers on a range of issues ranging from their business practices to data privacy and content moderation.

Most of the pressure has fallen on ByteDance-owned TikTok, whose CEO, Xu Ziqiu, was questioned on Capitol Hill last month over the company’s failure to properly monitor content for underage users.

Apple has also faced antitrust scrutiny from the Department of Justice, which reportedly stepped up an investigation earlier this year exploring potential anti-competitive practices toward third-party apps.

The probe is also examining whether Apple’s iOS operating system, which is used on its iPhones, favors the company’s own software products over those developed by competitors.