Inhabitants of the Japanese City of Toyoake Are Allowed to Spend A Maxim or Two Hours On Their Smartphone In Their Free Time. The City Council Has Laid This Down in A Guideline, which will not be Enforced.
The City is introducing the rule to make families aware of the time they spend on their phones. The two-hour limit applies not only to children, but also to adults. Mayor Masafumi Koki Recently Said that the Measure “Should prevent excessive use of devices, which can lead to physical and mental health problems.”
The Guideline, which will take effect in October, States That Elementary School Children are advised not to use phones after 9:00 pm. Teenagers should put away their smartphones after 10:00 pm. In Addition, The City Suggests That Educators Make Clear Agreements about Screen Use.
Officials from Toyoake Received Diets of Phone Calls and Emails with Complaints After The Guideline was Propose Last Month. People Said, Among Other Things, That the Rule is an Attack on Individual Freedom. Others Said That A Limit of Two Hours is Simply Impossible, because Watching a Movie Sometimes Takes Longer.
The Mayor does not intend to enforce the rule. It is a non-binding guideline that should make people aware of their Behavior. Accordance to Mayor Koki, adults spend a lot of time on their phones that they could also spend on family or their night’s rest.