Draft ordinance in Toyoake has triggered a backlash from locals, with some calling it an attack on individual freedom
A town in Japan is to urge all residents to restrict their smartphone use to two hours a day in an attempt to tackle online addiction and sleep deprivation.
Officials in Toyoake, Aichi prefecture, said the measure would target not only children but also adults, amid growing concern about the physical and psychological toll excessive smartphone use is taking on people of all ages.
The move aims “to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues … including sleep problems,” the mayor, Masafumi Koki said recently.
The Toyoake municipal assembly began debating the non-binding ordinance this week ahead of a vote scheduled for late next month. If the draft passes it will go into effect in October. The measure will not, however, carry penalties for those who exceed the two-hour daily limit.
