Technology giants Apple and Google have both recently unveiled a plethora of new features and tools in an effort to combat technology addiction. Some of the main features focus on limiting screen time and monitoring smartphone usage via parental controls and settings.  

Gamification and technology expert Gabe Zichermann weighed in on the new tools introduced by Google and Apple, along with other technology experts who are also featured in the Tulsa World article.

Zichermann gave Apple a C grade mainly because of its lenient approach to technology addiction. He believes that rather than working to suppress screen time altogether, Apple’s features simply make users aware of how much time they spend on their phones. It is then up to users to decide what to do with this information, if they opt to make any changes to their usage habits at all. In addition, Apple will offer users an option to bypass any restrictions they set for themselves, which Zichermann argues is an option they will take frequently.

Google earned a higher grade of C+, according to Zichermann’s standards. Although Google has some of the same faults as Apple, the higher grade can be attributed to the useful information Google sends to developers, which allows them to create better applications. As the CEO of Onward, an application dedicated to restoring the tech-life balance, Zichermann finds this extremely helpful on his end.

To read more of Gabe’s comments as well as insight from other technology experts, click here.

Gabe speaks on all topics related to technology, including gamification, tech-life balance, addiction economy and many more. If you are interested in booking Gabe to speak at your next event, give us a call at 1.800.345.5607.