Japanese city seeks to limit screen time to two hours

TOKYO: A city in Japan is set to advise all smartphone users to restrict screen time to two hours a day outside work or school, under a proposed ordinance that carries no penalties.

The guideline — aimed at residents of Toyoake City in central Japan — will be not be binding and there will be no penalties for exceeding the suggested limit, according to the draft.

The proposal aims "to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues... including sleep problems," mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement on Friday.

The draft urges elementary school students to avoid smartphones after 9:00pm, and junior high students and older are advised not to use them after 10:00pm.

The move prompted an online backlash, with many calling the plan unrealistic.

"I understand their intention, but the two-hour limit is impossible," one user wrote on social media platform X.

"In two hours, I cannot even read a book or watch a movie (on my smartphone)," wrote another.

Others said smartphone use should be a decision for families to make themselves.

The angry response prompted the mayor to clarify that the two-hour limit was not mandatory, emphasising that the guidelines "acknowledge smartphones are useful and indipensable in daily life".

The ordinance will be considered next week, and if passed, it will come into effect in October.

In 2020, western Kagawa region issued a first-of-its kind ordinance calling for children to be limited to an hour a day of gaming during the week, and 90 minutes during school holidays.

It also suggested children aged 12 to 15 should not be allowed to use smartphones later than 9:00pm, with the limit rising to 10:00pm for children between 15 and 18.

Japanese youth spend slightly over five hours on average a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published in March by the Children and Families Agency.