NAGOYA - A central Japan city that drew attention for urging residents to limit smartphone and game console use to two hours a day has found that about 5 percent of people who knew about the ordinance have reduced their usage, with its mayor declaring himself pleased that it has had at least some impact.
In a survey on the impact of the measure introduced by Toyoake in Aichi Prefecture last October, 86 of the 1,670 respondents who were aware of the ordinance, or 5.1 percent, said their usage time had decreased.
"Even though it is a nonbinding ordinance, there has been a certain degree of change, and I am surprised that usage time decreased for even about 5 percent of respondents," Mayor Masafumi Kouki said at a press conference about the findings, released by the city last month. "We need to continue awareness-raising over the long term."
The ordinance recommends that residents limit use of smartphones, game consoles and other digital devices outside work and school to two hours per day.
It carries no penalties and was believed to be the first municipal ordinance of its kind in Japan.
The ordinance reflects growing concern in Japan and overseas about the effects of excessive screen time, especially on children's sleep, health and family interaction. Countries including Australia and Indonesia have moved to bar children under 16 from using major social media platforms, while Britain, Denmark and other nations have also announced plans to introduce similar age-limits.
The survey, which targeted residents aged 16 to 80, allowed multiple responses.
Asked about other changes brought about by the ordinance, 27.1 percent said they had become more mindful of their screen time or how they used the devices, while 11.1 percent said they had discussed usage rules with family members or others.
The survey also found that 4.6 percent said communication with family members had increased and 3.8 percent said they were getting more sleep.
Conducted in March and April, the survey received valid responses from a total of 1,907 people, of whom 87.6 percent were aware of the ordinance.
Earlier in spring, the city released results of separate screen time surveys with elementary and junior high school students as well as parents.
