TOKYO: Imagine being told to use your phone for only two hours a day. That’s exactly what one Japanese city is suggesting.
Toyoake City in central Japan is considering a new rule that encourages residents to keep their screen time outside of work or school to just two hours daily. The draft ordinance, however, is not legally binding and carries no penalties if people ignore it.
Mayor Masafumi Koki said the idea is to tackle health problems linked to excessive screen use, including sleep issues. “The goal is to prevent physical and mental health problems caused by overuse,” he explained in a statement on Friday.
The guidelines also include specific advice for children. Elementary school students are urged to stop using their phones after 9 pm, while junior high school students and older are advised to switch off by 10 pm.
But not everyone is on board. The proposal has sparked a wave of criticism online, with many calling it impractical.
“I get their intention, but two hours is impossible,” one user posted on X. Another said, “In two hours, I can’t even finish a book or watch a movie on my phone.” Some argued that screen-time decisions should be left to families, not the government.
The backlash pushed the mayor to clarify that the two-hour rule is only a recommendation. He stressed that the city acknowledges smartphones are “useful and indispensable in daily life.”
The ordinance will be debated next week, and if it passes, it will take effect in October.
This isn’t Japan’s first attempt to curb screen time. Back in 2020, the Kagawa region introduced guidelines limiting children to one hour of gaming on weekdays and 90 minutes during school holidays. It also advised kids aged 12 to 15 to put away their phones by 9 pm, and teens up to 18 by 10 pm.
Despite these efforts, Japanese youth are still glued to their screens. A government survey released in March found that children and teenagers spend an average of more than five hours online on weekdays.
