Apple just launched a new Families page that may help give moms and dads the information they need to lock down the iOS and macOS devices their kids are using.
In response to growing concern about the effect of its smartphones on children, Apple recently pointed out that it already offers a number of tools to help parents control and restrict the apps, movies, websites, songs, books, cellular data, password settings, and other features on their kids' devices. Now, the Cupertino tech giant is making more of an effort to educate parents about these tools and how to use them.
The new Families page highlights tools such as Restrictions, which lets you block or limit specific apps and features on your kid's iOS device; Ask to Buy, a feature that lets you remotely approve or decline the apps your kids want to download; and Find My Friends, which lets you keep track of your kid's locations and get alerts when they leave or arrive somewhere.
Apple in January said it was working on new parental control "features and enhancements" in response to an open letter from two major investors about the addictive nature of the company's devices.
"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," the investors, Jana Partners and CalSTRS, which collectively own approximately $2 billion in Apple shares, wrote in the Jan. 6 letter. The organizations cited statistics from the nonprofit Common Sense Media revealing that 78 percent of teens check their phones at least once an hour and 50 percent feel "addicted" to their phone.
More recently, a group of Stanford University student protestors urged Apple to do more to curb iPhone addiction.
Apple isn't the only company facing this issue. In a recent survey, 62 percent of parents whose children watch content on YouTube said their kid has encountered inappropriate videos on the Google-owned platform. But while the majority (81 percent) of parents said it's mainly their job to prevent their kids from seeing inappropriate videos, just 40 percent have taken advantage of YouTube's parental controls, the survey found.