We all love Apple products. It is not exaggerate to say that every moment of our life is filled with iPhones, iPads and iPods. However, behind the intelligent technology and brilliant innovation, we need to look at the business ethics of Apple.

Between January and November 2010, 18 suicides occurred at Foxconn, the major manufacturer of Apple in China. This news brought attention from the world to the working condition in the Chinese sweatshops. Covered in suicide nets to prevent workers leap to their death, Foxcoon largely employs underaged workers from Chinese countryside with minor payments to do huge amount of work. Previous reports have claimed that some of the workers were doing 24 hours at a time, while others were forced to stand for their entire shifts. Apple, the most advanced technology company, faces abuses from the whole world for the inhuman working conditions it provides in Foxconn.

In my opinion, the tragedy occurs for two reasons. The first reason is the interest-orientated goal for not only Apple, but for most of the major companies in modern world. Bragging big words such as technology improves the whole world, while secretly employ underaged workers with minor payments, companies deepen the division of social classes, creating latent social problems.

The second reason is the long haunted problem of China, which is lack of creativity. As a Chinese, I grew up, being told what to do and what not to. All kinds of formula from chemistry and physics were crammed in my head without exploring any real-life application. All I need to do is write down what I memorised during test. Chinese people value hard work, but we are living in a world where one simple idea lays the foundation of hard work. Without the foundation, sweat and blood lead to nowhere. So in my opinion, better education leads to better life.