Toyoake City Council: 12 Out of 19 Members Vote in Favor
An ordinance limiting all citizens to a maximum of two hours of smartphone use per day has been passed by the city council of a small city in Japan.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and other sources on September 22, 12 out of 19 city council members in Toyoake City, Aichi Prefecture, voted in favor of the ordinance. Toyoake City, located near Nagoya, is a small city with a population of about 69,000.
The ordinance recommends that elementary school students use smartphones only until 9 p.m., and that those under 18, including middle and high school students, use them only until 10 p.m. It also advises that all citizens restrict their total daily smartphone use to within two hours. However, there are no penalties for violations. The ordinance is scheduled to take effect next month. While there have been previous cases in Japan of legally restricting internet usage time, this is the first time a specific standard of two hours per day has been stipulated.
To Take Effect Next Month... No Penalties for Violations
When the ordinance was announced last month, it immediately sparked backlash from citizens. They argued that "regulating private life through an ordinance is unfair" and called it an "unrealistic restriction." In response to the criticism, Toyoake City Mayor Masafumi Goki, who promoted the ordinance, explained that "the ordinance does not restrict citizens' rights or impose obligations. It merely sets a standard for life balance and is not compulsory." He also emphasized that the two-hour limit applies only to leisure time, excluding sleep and meals, and does not include activities such as studying, e-sports training, cooking, or exercising.
There have already been similar attempts within Japan. Previously, Kagawa Prefecture has limited children's and adolescents' gaming time to 60 minutes on weekdays and 90 minutes on holidays since 2020. Smartphone use is also restricted to 9 p.m. for junior high school students and younger, and to 10 p.m. for high school students and older. After five years of implementation, surveys have shown that more than half of respondents reported that "rules have been established at home," indicating some effectiveness.
The issue of excessive smartphone use among children and adolescents is also a concern in other countries. In Australia, a law restricting the use of social networking services and YouTube for those under 16 will take effect in December this year, while in France, discussions are underway to completely ban social media use for children under 15.
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