TOYOAKE CITY, Japan (Kashmir English): A Japanese city will urge all smartphone users to limit screen time to two hours a day outside work or school through a proposed legislation that carries no penalties.
Under a draft ordinance, all residents of central Japan’s Toyoake City will be asked to limit the smartphone usage, however, the law will not be binding and there will be no penalties incurred for higher usage.
The proposal aims “to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues… including sleep problems”, City mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement on Friday.
The proposed ordinance urges elementary school students to avoid smartphones after 9:00pm, and junior high students and older are advised not to use the devices after 10:00pm.
The move invited an online backlash, with many calling the plan unrealistic. “I understand their intention, but the two-hour limit is impossible,” one user wrote on social media platform X.
“In two hours, I cannot even read a book or watch a movie (on my smartphone),” wrote another.
“Screen time a decision for families to make”
Many said screen time limit should be a decision for families to make themselves.
The response prompted the mayor to clarify that the two-hour smartphone limit was not mandatory, emphasising that the guidelines “acknowledge smartphones are useful and indispensable in daily life”.
The ordinance will be considered in the coming week, and if passed, it will come into effect in October this year.
In 2020, the western Kagawa region issued a first-of-its kind ordinance calling for children to limit to an hour a day for gaming during the week, and 90 minutes during school holidays.
It also suggested children aged 12-15 should not be allowed to use smartphones after 9:00pm, with the limit rising to 10:00pm for children between 15 and 18.
On average, Japanese youth spend slightly over five hours a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published in March by the Children and Families Agency.
