Apple’s CEO wants us to spend less time on our iPhones. Somebody call the irony police

Have you heard the one about the iPhone boss telling people to spend less time on their iPhone? No, it isn’t a joke. This week, in an interview on Good Morning America, Apple CEO explicitly said he doesn’t want people overusing iPhones.

“I don’t want people looking at the smartphone more than they’re looking in someone’s eyes; as if they’re scrolling endlessly,” Cook said. “This is not how you want to spend your day. Go out and spend it in nature.”

Are these the ‘eyes’ Cook wants us to look at? (Image credit: Apple)

Putting aside the irony of being told to look into people’s eyes by the CEO of the company behind a VR headset that literally gives people fake digital eyes, there’s something undeniably cynical about the whole thing.

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This is, after all, the man at the helm of the company that releases a new iPhone every year with the kind of fanfare usually reserved for royal weddings. And once you’re in the Apple ecosystem, you are gently, persistently, nudged to upgrade, optimise, sync, share, track, and stay engaged. And now we’re being told to touch grass?

iPhones, and their screens, have got bigger and more addictive over the last twenty years (Image credit: Apple/Future)

Naturally, the response online has ranged from incredulity to full-blown satire. “Drug dealer thinks people should take less drugs,” one X user comments. “When the studies inevitably prove their products can be harmful to us, there needs to be a trail of them saying the right thing. Cigarettes, plastic, fast food, etc,” another adds. And plenty have drawn attention to those Vision Pro eyes.

Drug dealer thinks people should take less drugs. https://t.co/T0JlOwaQUgMarch 22, 2026

Of course, on the face of it, Cook has a point. His message isn’t wrong. In fact, it’s refreshingly human for Apple (hey, the company does seem to be discovering its personality again). Screen fatigue is real,…

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