iPhone Designer Worried About iPhone Addiction

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LOS ANGELES (CBSMiami/CNN) - A former Apple executive who designed the iPod and iPhone wants Silicon Valley to do the right thing and help us put down our phones and tablets.

Tony Fadell took to Twitter to echo recent criticism from major Apple investors.

He continued that Google, Facebook, and Twitter have "gotten so good at getting us to go for another click, another dopamine hit. They now have a responsibility & need to start helping us track & manage our digital addictions across all usages - phone, laptop, TV etc."

Fadell also said that government regulations might be needed if these companies "don't step up."

Fadell finished his tweetstorm demanding that it's time for Silicon Valley to act.

Two of Apple's biggest investors, California State Teachers' Retirement System and Jana Partners, said smartphones are leading to insufficient sleep, a higher risk of depression and suicide. The investors own about $2 billion in Apple stock between them.

In a statement, Apple said it has a "long history" of parental controls. "We have new features and enhancements planned for the future, to add functionality and make these tools even more robust," it added.

"We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them," Apple said in a statement. "We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids."

(©2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)

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