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Man Who invented The Mobile Phone Says People Who Spend So Much Time On It Need To ‘Get A Life’

Martin Cooper

The inventor of the mobile phone has suggested that people who spend too much time on the device may want to rethink their priorities.

Martin Cooper, a 93-year-old American engineer, was appearing on BBC Breakfast when he suggested people should stop scrolling and ‘get a life’.

Cooper led the team at Motorola responsbile for the development of the first ever mobile phone in the 1970s. In 1973, he became the first person in history to make a handheld cellular phone call in public.

Now widely credited as the ‘father of the cell phone’ he admitted he actually doesn’t use the device all that much.

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Mr Cooper explained during the interview that he probably spends less than 5 per cent of his time on his phone.

Martin Cooper holds up his mobile phone in Oviedo, northern Spain, October 22, 2009. Cooper and Raymond Samuel Tomlinson will be awarded the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research at a traditional ceremony on Friday in the Asturian capital. Cooper and Tomlinson were nominated for the award in recognition of their research which led the development of the mobile phone and email respectively. QUALITY FROM SOURCE REUTERS/Felix Ordonez (SPAIN SCI TECH SOCIETY BUSINESS) - GM1E5AM1LBS01
Martin Cooper worked at Motorola in the 1970s and invented the first mobile phone. (Credits: Reuters)

When asked what he would say to those who spend upwards of five hours on theirs, he was incredulous.

‘You really spend five hours a day?’ he asked. ‘I would say “get a life!”.

How much time do we spend on our phones?

Whether keeping in touch with friends and family, doomscrolling Twitter or staying entertained with endless TikTok videos, phones are definitely an essential.

But with that said, you may still be surprised to learn that over our lifetimes we’ll spend almost a decade on our phones.

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A study by WhistleOut surveyed 1,000 American smartphone users to see just how much time we spend on our phones and the results are staggering.

Close-up shot of a young Asian woman scrolling on smartphone, managing banking online, underneath duvet in the dark.
We spend almost a decade of our lives on our phones, according to one survey.
(Credits: Getty Images)

The survey found that millennials (born 1981-1996) spend almost a quarter of their waking lives on their phones, taking up 23.1% of their day.

That figure drops to 16.5% for Generation X (born 1965- 1980) and is even lower for Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), with 9.9% of their waking hours spent scrolling.

In the study, researchers also calculated the average number of hours a day we spend on our phones, which also varied heavily between generations.

The average screentime per day for millennials is at 3.7 hours, Gen X spend an average of 3 hours and Boomers are again the lowest at 2.5 hours.

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Close up of woman's hand using smartphone in the dark, against illuminated city light bokeh
How much time do you spend on your phone? (Credits: Getty Images)

By totting up the figures, WhistleOut were able to estimate that the average phone user, over the course of their life, will spend 8.74 years on their phones.

But they explain that, particularly for millennials who were among the first people to grow up with this technology, a lot of phone usage is down to tech-focused jobs they’re in.

Still, if you want to follow Mr Cooper’s advice and put the phone down, there are a number of ways you can try to reduce your own screen time.

Source: metro.co.uk

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Health Minister leads delegation Mimi Darko’s appointment as AMA Director General

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health and Member of Parliament has led a delegation to secure the appointment of Dr Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, as the Director General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) during the ongoing 2nd Ordinary Session of the Conference of State Parties in Kigali, Rwanda.

This prestigious appointment, achieved through a competitive process, marks a proud and historic moment for Ghana and the entire continent.

It highlights Dr. Darko’s exceptional leadership, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to enhancing public health and regulatory systems across Africa.

The Minister expressed his deep appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for his strong support and leadership throughout this process.

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Mr.Akandoh congratulated Dr. Mimi Darko and Team Ghana for their incredibly successful campaign.

The AMA was established by the African Union on November 5, 2021, with the primary objective of improving access to quality, safe, and effective medical products throughout the continent. Its creation aims to facilitate the regulation and oversight of essential medicines at a continental level while promoting collaboration among African countries and regions.

The Agency’s mission is to provide leadership in creating an enabling regulatory environment for the pharmaceutical sector in Africa, ensuring that the African population has access to essential medical products and technologies.

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Police arrest five suspects involved in robbery cases in Ashanti Region 

The Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) in the Ashanti Region has informed the public about a recent breakthrough in the fight against armed robbery in the Denchemuoso District.

Following a series of robbery incidents in the area, on April 22, 2025, PID/Ashanti operatives, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended one Michael Owusu Ansah, alias Baby Last, aged 32. 

The suspect had been on the police wanted list since 2016 in connection with a robbery and the murder of Police Officer G/Cpl Frank Essel of SWAT/Ashanti, which occurred at the Open Space Hotel in Denchemuoso on  May 19, 2016.

During interrogation, the suspect confessed to engaging in multiple street and residential robberies in Denchemuoso, Atwima-Techiman, Asuoyeboah, and surrounding areas.

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 He also disclosed that his gang operated with knives, pistols, and pump-action guns.

Further investigations led to the identification and arrest of his accomplices, namely:Emmanuel Owusu, alias Cassidy,  Maxwell Gyimah, alias Nana Kwame, Sudais Oxford Ntiamoah, alias The Man Sudais and Rhano Okyere, alias Demon

These individuals were arrested from their hideouts within Atwima-Techiman and Denchemuoso. 

However, one suspect, remains at large and efforts are underway to apprehend him and recover the weapons used in the robberies.

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All five arrested suspects were arraigned before the Atasomanso Circuit Court on May 13, 2025.

 They were remanded into police custody and are scheduled to reappear on June 4, 2025.

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