Apple’s response to parental controls and iPhone addiction in children

The other day, we posted a story about two groups that want Apple to create ways for parents to restrict children’s access to their mobile phones.

Apple provided a statement to Rene Ritchie that said in part:

“Apple has always looked out for kids, and we work hard to create powerful products that inspire, entertain, and educate children while also helping parents protect them online. We lead the industry by offering intuitive parental controls built right into the operating system.”

The company also said that they are working on new parental control features that will be released in the future. That is obviously a great step by Apple to provide these types of features.

However, as I thought about this story I couldn’t help but think that the specific problem these groups want addressed is not Apple’s to solve—it’s the parents. If parents don’t want their kids on a device, then don’t let them use the device.

The problem here seems less about Apple creating ways to restrict access to the iPhone and more about parents not parenting.