Why this city has introduced a screen time limit of 2 hours per day
The guideline states that school children should not be using smartphones past 9pm
A city has introduced a screen time limit of just two hours per day for a very particular reason.
The move is set to come into effect on October 1 of this year, with officials stating that it demonstrates just how central screens have become in our everyday lives.
The city in question is Toyoake, which is located in Japan’s Aichi prefecture.
The new guideline is said to encourage its residents to cap the time they spend on their devices outside of work or school to just two hours every day.
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This comes after a warning that too much screen time can impact both sleep and family life.
The guideline goes on to say that elementary school children should not be using smartphones past 9pm and older children and adults should avoid use from 10pm.
It goes on to say that parents should discuss this with their children and set clear limits with them in order to manage how much screen time they have.
In a statement, Toyoake Mayor Masafumi Koki said: “The two hour limit... is merely a guideline... to encourage citizens.
“This does not mean the city will limit its residents' rights or impose duties.
“Rather, I hope this serves as an opportunity for each family to think about and discuss the time spent on smartphones as well as the time of day the devices are used.”
During a consultation period of the guidelines, over 120 people reached out to city officials to voice their opinions.
A whopping 80% of them said they were against the proposal, with a smaller amount sharing their support, according to Japanese news outlet Mainichi.
No fines will be imposed for going beyond the recommended time and officials will not enforce the rule, instead it is meant to act as a suggestion to reconsider whether your phone is more important than real life.
Mayor Kouki Masafumi went on to say: “People have mistakenly received the impression that the ordinance will bind residents to the two-hour cap, but the two-hour cap is a guideline to encourage people to reconsider their sleeping hours and other matters such as their relationship with family members.”
There was a similar law put into place in 2020 in Kagawa Prefecture which encouraged children to spend just one hour on video games during the week.
In the days following its announcement, the city had received over 110 calls and emails with 70% of people voicing their opinions in opposition to the guidelines.