Apple CEO gives advice on screen time and how long you should spend on your iPhone
Published on Aug 30, 2023 at 4:17 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Aug 31, 2023 at 1:04 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
You might be surprised to learn that Apple actually wants your screen time to go down.
Famous for inventing some of the most addictive technology the world has ever seen, Apple CEO Time Cook has stated he doesn’t want people using their devices ‘too much’.
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Recent studies show that the average person spends around 6 hours and 37 minutes a day looking at a screen.
This is up 49 minutes since 2013 and accounts for about 30% of your day.
It’s no secret that too much screen time has a negative effect on humans, with excessive screen use being linked to sleep deprivation, obesity, delayed learning in children, and even type 2 diabetes.
While it may feel like tech giants don’t take this into consideration when designing their compelling software and gadgets, Cook doesn’t want his customer’s screen time to continuously go up.
“We’re not incentivized for that,” he said.
“We try to get people tools in order to help them put the phone down.”
One of the tools he swears by is Screen Time, the weekly report that shows users exactly how much time they spent on each of their phone’s apps that week.
“My philosophy is, if you’re looking at the phone more than you’re looking in somebody’s eyes, you’re doing the wrong thing,” says Cook.
Apple’s Screen Time feature also allows users to place limits on device usage, downloads and content – a function increasingly sought out by parents in the digital age.
“Kids are born digital, they’re digital kids now,” Cook continued.
“And it is, I think, really important to set some hard rails around it.”
It’s unusual for a Big Tech CEO to encourage customers to spend less time with their products, even going so far as to create the Screen Time function.
But Cook is famous for his out-of-the-ordinary approach to life, which has helped solidify Apple’s place as one of the most innovative tech companies ever created.
“We didn’t make the phone so you’ll use it all the time,” he explained.
“We made the phone to make your life better.”
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
