Are you looking at a phone more than someone's eyes?

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Are you looking at a phone more than someones eyes?

Certain professions may actually require comparatively more commitment to the screen than some others.

By Vicky Kapur (From the Executive Editor's desk)

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Published: Thu 25 Apr 2019, 8:38 PM

Last updated: Fri 26 Apr 2019, 12:50 AM

If you answered 'yes' to the question above like a majority of us would, then you're doing the wrong thing. And so says the CEO of Apple, whose company arguably stands to make more money when more people spend more time on iPhones and iPhone apps. "Apple never wanted to maximise user time," said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a recent interview at the TIME 100 Summit in New York. "If you're looking at a phone more than someone's eyes, you're doing the wrong thing," he added.
Now commentators including yours truly have been suggesting a digital detox every once in a while to cleanse and rejuvenate your mind, but coming from the head of the world's most iconic smartphone company should make many more people sit up and take note. And it isn't the first time either that Cook is making that suggestion - last year in December, he acknowledged spending too much time on his phone and recommended every iPhone user to benchmark their need to be on a screen with their actual screen time and take corrective measures if needed. This was just after Apple had introduced the 'Screen Time' app for users to monitor how much time they (or their kids) were spending on their devices, and set limits for apps they'd want to restrict.
Certain professions may actually require comparatively more commitment to the screen than some others (we journalists, for instance, often cite our need to stay abreast of breaking news as a primary reason for our affection to the device), but let's face it - a lot of the time we spend gawking at the mobile screen isn't strictly for work or even leisure. Some of us may have just become slaves of our fear - of missing out on the trending topic, the latest Trump meme or what our long-forgotten school friend might be doing in Timbuktu. Are these the things for which we're sacrificing exercise, sleep, and family conversations? With champions like Cook, thankfully, a lot more people will choose a face-to-face interaction over Facetime.


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