Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that he is concerned about the "endless mindless scrolling" that social media encourages and that people "use technology too much."
According to Cook, the interview with Bustle focused heavily on Apple's support for Shine, an app that combats stigmas surrounding mental health issues. Cook stated that mental health is a crisis and that meditation and being out in nature are his methods of dealing with the stress of being Apple CEO.
Cook spoke about technology addiction and online technology. He reiterated a claim that he made before, saying that technology should "serve humanity" and that he is fundamentally concerned that people use technology too much.
Technology should be used to benefit humanity, not vice versa. This is what I have believed all my life. I was always concerned about the excessive use of technology. Screen Time was created to allow people to get a real picture of how much time they are spending on their devices. It's often a lot more than they think.
Cook stated that "endless scrolling," such as on social media like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are creating a "negativity" among users. Apple wants customers to be able to connect with their family and friends through its products, not for "endless scrolling".
Aza Raskin, who invented the infinite scrolling mechanism for social media, stated in 2019 that he was "sorry" for his invention and that he regretted what it had done to society. Although he stated that the goal of the invention was to create the best user experience, the reality is that it was a scheme to keep users online as long as possible.
Apple's top app for 2020 was Shine, which has a "mission of making caring for your mental well-being easier, more representative and more inclusive". It can be downloaded for free from the App Store [Direct Link].
