Apple’s Next Innovation Should Be Less Tech In Our Lives

Will they shift to what we need instead of giving us what we want?

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Innovation in tech company hardware has been slowing and Apple are no exception. Phones and Laptops are now commonplace in our daily lives and carry with them all the excitement of buying a new washing machine. Whilst blogs, websites and YouTubers continue to treat the tech sector as a form of entertainment, most people know there isn’t much more you can do with these products. But what if the real innovation was getting them to do less?

There have been countless studies on the effects of smart devices on our lives. Research has shown that our attention spans are shortening, with excessive smartphone use contributing to rising exacerbation of ADHD symptoms. Social Media, whose rampant adoption was driven by smartphones has lead to effective disinformation campaigns and the undermining of the democratic process. Some people experience genuine anxiety if they cannot check their notifications regularly. And we are all exhausted from the expectation we are reachable at all hours of the day.

As the platform masters, Apple and Google have both implemented tools to help people control (for example) how much their kids can access or keep an eye on their own personal usage. These are platitudes at best, requiring willpower from the user to…