Toyoake City recommended limiting smartphone use

The Toyoake city government in Japan has recommended limiting daily usage time to two hours to protect residents from excessive use of the internet and smartphones. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

The Guardian publication provided information about this. According to the city mayor Masafumi Koki, such a restriction is necessary to improve people's health and sleep patterns, as well as to reduce excessive dependence on gadgets.

This measure may be implemented starting from October. No fines or compulsory measures are envisaged; the recommendation is voluntary and intended for both children and adults.

According to the project, children aged 6 to 12 are advised not to use smartphones and tablets after 9:00 PM, while teenagers and adults are recommended to avoid using them after 10:00 PM. However, this government proposal has caused negative reactions on social media.

Many users consider it an interference with personal freedom and an impractical decision. After the restriction was announced in the city with a population of 69,000, hundreds of complaints were received by the local authorities, more than 80 percent of which expressed critical views of the proposal.

The mayor hopes this initiative will allow families to assess smartphone usage time and exchange opinions on the matter. As officials emphasized, the project aims to reduce problems arising from phone addiction among children and adults.

For example, after smartphones were banned in schools, some students began to distance themselves from studying. Additionally, cases of sleep disturbances and reduced family communication due to spending personal time on phones have also been observed.

For this reason, such measures are expected to serve to improve the health and well-being of the population.