Real Cost of Your iPhone

Apple’s manufacturing company Foxconn, owns multiple China-based factories that are guilty of horrible working conditions for its employees. These factories produce millions of electronics for multiple companies, Apple being one of the largest clients. The demand for iPads, iPhones and iPods is very high; the products themselves are costly for the ones buying as well as costly for those producing. Foxconn factories are open 24 hours a day, every day. Their employees usually work six days a week and up to 12 hours a shift. These are conditions that Foxconn cannot deny but they do deny that the working conditions are any worse.

The New York Times reported that workers at Foxconn are often on their feet for so long that their legs begin to swell. There are also many underage workers. The majority of Foxconn’s workers live on the factory’s campus in crowded dorms, which have become the scene for many apparent suicides of workers. In the past half decade there have been at least 17 suicides by Foxconn employees on the factories campuses. In 2011, nets were put up around most buildings to prevent more suicides.  Of course, Foxconn denies the reports that working conditions are this terrible.

Hearing reports of this information have me feeling concerned about how my iPhone and other gadgets are produced. It has begun to get some recognition and people are beginning to think of ways to boycott. But many people cannot stand to be without their gadgets no matter what the unseen cost is to get them. The true cost of these electronics, the human cost, is not always apparent to us because it is not happening here in the United States but is half way around the world in China.

Although it would be noble to boycott Apple products, it will never happen because of the strong demand for these gadgets.  One thing we can do is advocate to give better working conditions to the employees of Foxconn. We know that when it comes to certain electronics, Apple makes the best there are. That is why they sell millions in the first week of being released and continue to sell strongly thereafter. Apple cannot make the new products fast enough and that comes at a price for the factory workers. People may never boycott Apple’s products but they should take initiative to urge Foxconn and other companies to improve the working conditions for the people who make the iPhones and gadget s that make our lives easier.