Tech Talk: Apple's new tool for people who use their phones too much

Tech Talk with Lisa Hendey/Son Rise Morning Show (CatholicMom.com)

On a recent episode of the Son Rise Morning Show, we discussed Apple's new "tech addiction" tool, which will be available in iOS 12. What's the connection between screen time, self-control, and mental health -- for ourselves and our children? At its recent Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple rolled out a new series of tools that are aimed at curbing technology addiction. Here are the details:

On Monday, Apple released the public beta of iOS 12, the latest version of its mobile operating system.
One feature of the new system is Screen Time, a system which provides users with a better understanding of time spent on your mobile devices.
Users can review a weekly activity summary that details how you used your iPhone or iPad.
You can also set limits so you get alerts when you use an app too much.
Parents can create customized time limits for apps or a period of downtime when all apps are blocked.

How and why is this actually a direct response to pressure from Apple stockholders asking for more parental control over children's use of technology? (Read more in this CNBC article.)

In January, two of Apple’s leading stockholders, Jana Partners and California State Teachers' Retirement System, or CalSTRS, called on Apple to address the issue of technology addiction, urging them to create tools to help parents provide oversight of children’s tech usage.
Even Tim Cook expressed surprise at how much he uses his phone.

Can't you and I just resolve this problem by praying for an increase in the virtue of self-control?

A variety of recent studies point to a connection between screen use and mental health issues.
We should focus our prayer lives and our habits on building the cardinal virtue of temperance.

What can parents do to begin now, even before the rollout of this new operating system, to help our kids grow in temperance?

Parents can and should set a disciplined example by examining our own screen use and habits.
Families should set ground rules for screen free times and zones of the home.
Not every child needs a mobile device. Summer may be the time to assess whether mobile devices are needed tools or something that can be put away for use at a more mature age.

Helpful Resource Article: Educating in Virtue Listen to the full audio of our conversation: https://soundcloud.com/son-rise-morning-show/lisa-hendey-screen-time-and-self-control Read more of our Tech Talk columns.