In Japanthe city of Toyoakein Aichi Prefecture, has decided to tackle a problem that is becoming increasingly pressing: the smartphone addiction. The municipal administration has issued an ordinance inviting citizens to use digital devices in their free time, aiming above all to protect the sleep and psychophysical well-being.
The initiative does not have a coercive nature: it is not a ban, nor a sanctionable rule. The goal is to encourage families and individuals to reflect on your relationship with technology and to establish shared rules for a balanced use of smartphones.
Targeted suggestions for younger groups
Particular attention is paid to younger people: according to the guidelines, elementary students should turn off devices after 9 p.mwhile older kids should do it after 10pm. The measure, although indicative, arises from considerations healthcare rather than technological: reducing time in front of the screen means ensuring adequate rest, which is essential for psychophysical development and the quality of daily life.
The municipality emphasizes that the smartphone is not an enemy: it is one indispensable toolbut it must be managed wisely. The ordinance therefore wants to bring the use of devices back into a healthy balanceavoiding excesses that could compromise health and family routine.
A hyper-connected country grappling with digital risks
Toyoake’s provision comes in a paradoxical context: Japan is perceived as a technological laboratory, but the massive adoption of smartphones coexists with a certain difficulty in managing its social effects. 2024 research from NTT Docomo’s Mobile Society Research Institute shows that the 97% of citizens own at least one smartphoneand among young people under twenty, many girls use the device to over six hours a day.
It is not so much the presence of the smartphone that is worrying, but rather the normalization of intensive use which can lead to sleep problems, social isolation and decreased academic performance. Among the most evident effects, according to studies by the Ministry of Health, there are cases of gaming disorderfamily conflicts and social withdrawal, which require ever greater attention from families and institutions.
Towards a conscious digital balance
Toyoake’s ordinance therefore represents an attempt to govern hyperconnection without criminalizing technology. Rather, the aim is to create awareness, educate on balanced use and protect the most vulnerable groups. A challenge which, in a country where technology is everywhere, also takes on a strong cultural value: remembering that digital must serve life, not dominate it.
