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

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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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IGP decorates newly promoted senior police officers

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, together with members of the Police Management Board (POMAB), on April 17, 2026, decorated nineteen (19) senior officers who have been promoted to their next ranks based on the recommendations of the Police Council and approval of the President, John Dramani Mahama.

The ceremony, held at the National Police Headquarters in Accra, forms part of efforts to recognise merit, dedication, and long-standing service within the Ghana Police Service, while strengthening leadership across key operational and administrative levels.

The officers promoted from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) to Commissioner of Police (COP) are Dr. Luke Asue-In-Yeng Zakpaa, Mr. Frederick Agyei, Mr. Duuti Tuaruka, Mr. Arthur Osei-Akoto, Mr. Darko Offei Lomotey, Mr. Eric Ken Winful, Mr. Barnabas Nambont Nasumong, and Mr. Desmond Owusu Boampong.

The IGP and members of POMAB congratulated the officers and urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the discharge of their duties.

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G-NEXID hosts 6th Exchange Programme

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The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.

The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.

Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.

It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.

The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.

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This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).

On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.

There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.

Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.

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Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.

The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.

The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.

As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.

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The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.

Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.

Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.

On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.

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Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”

The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.

Source – G-NEXID

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