A day after two large Apple Inc. investors said they’re concerned kids are too addicted to their digital devices, the company today said it provides protections and has more planned.

In an open letter, New York-based Jana Partners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System said that after they reviewed evidence supplied by psychologists, they believe Apple is obligated to protect its younger customers from being “negatively distracted” by digital devices.

The letter goes on to cite research that states worrying concerns by teachers, who say that since the explosion of smartphones kids are less focused on their schoolwork and also are less interested in socializing and physical activity. They also invoke a study undertaken by the American Psychological Association that points to physical and mental health problems from too much time spent using social media.

“There is a developing consensus around the world including Silicon Valley that the potential long-term consequences of new technologies need to be factored in at the outset, and no company can outsource that responsibility,” said the investors, which together control around $2 billion of Apple stock.

The solution, they said, is to give parents better control over their children’s devices. This could be by limiting certain apps and features on their phone and monitoring time spent on the phone. A child’s phone should be able to be set by parents at the start of the day, said the letter, thereby giving parents peace of mind.

Apple quickly responded, stating, “We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them. We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”

The company also pointed out that iOS already has parental controls for many features, but it doesn’t seem those controls are quite as strict as the requests by the investors. The company said that it has “new features and enhancements planned for the future, to add functionality and make these [parental control] tools even more robust.”

For years now, studies all over the world have come to the conclusion that overuse of gadgets can have a negative effect on the user, especially children. Many of these studies suggest that social media can have a damaging affect on a child’s mental health.

Indeed, late last year former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya shocked the world by admitting he had helped create what he called a “beast” that was “ripping apart society.” Although he later walked back specific criticism of Facebook, when he was asked about his own kids using social media, Palihapitiya said, “They’re not allowed to use that shit.”

He’s in good company: The late Steve Jobs famously said he limited the amount of time his children could use his own company’s gadgets.

Image: r. nial bradshawvia Flickr