Brazilian congressman André Janones said he spends an average of 11 hours and two minutes a day on his phone, revealing the figure during an interview with the TV program Fantástico. Asked whether he could manage without the device if it were hidden, he replied: “No, I can’t.”
Fantástico followed Janones in the days after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s presidential election victory. Janones had drawn attention for his digital mobilisation of Lula supporters through the “Exército do Lula” channel, which he created on a messaging app.
During the campaign, Janones said he sometimes drove 2,000 kilometres a week to avoid flying and losing internet access. He managed the channel from his phone and posted videos urging participants to share campaign content. The channel gathered more than 10 million people in the three weeks before the election’s second round.
Janones continued travelling and giving interviews after the campaign. Two days after the election, Fantástico found him at a hotel in São Paulo; he said he had slept for only an hour and a half after following the vote count. He also spoke to international outlets including Le Monde and The Guardian. During an interview, he became unwell; his doctor said the cause was medication for a sore throat, and the conversation resumed about an hour later.
After the election, Janones stopped posting the channel’s “missions,” according to Fantástico. He later tried to take a few days off in Rio de Janeiro, but said the trip was his first chance to rest since August. The report showed him still holding his phone during the break.
Sources: G1.