This Japanese city has proposed a two-hour daily limit on smartphones

Toyoake is a city in Japan's Aichi Prefecture. The government of the city wants to limit the hours of smartphone usage to two hours, for the 69,000 citizens that live in the city.

In a proposal that has sparked debate, the government of Toyoake wants to pass a "non-binding ordinace", aimed at encouraging people to limit screen time apart from study and work purposes.

Japan's Toyoake wants its citizens to reduce smartphone usage

Masafumi Koki, Toyoake's mayor wants to propose an ordinance limiting the use of smartphones to two hours. The "non-binding ordinance" will neither be enforceable by law, nor be punishable if anyone breaks the rule.

The Toyoake government has submitted the proposal, and if lawmakers approve, it will be passed in October, urging residents of Toyoake to limit the use of smartphones to just two hours.

According to a news outlet, Mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement, "The two hour limit... is merely a guideline... to encourage citizens. This does not mean the city will limit its residents' rights or impose duties".

The Mayor stressed that the proposal is not to harm citizens' freedom, but to look out for their wellbeing by protecting the people from device addiction.

"Rather, I hope this serves as an opportunity for each family to think about and discuss the time spent on smartphones as well as the time of day the devices are used", Masafumi Koki added.

Smartphones have become increasingly important to our daily lives, but the harm it can cause, is not unknown. The proposal by the government of Toyoake is meant to keep a check, albeit not too strictly, on the effects of overusing smartphones.

According to reports, the draft of the proposed ordinance mentions that children aged 6 to 12 should avoid using electronic devices after 9 pm. For teens and adults, the time limit is upto 10 pm.

Although the proposal does not mention any sort of penalties or strict enforcement, it has faced backlash. This reflects our over-dependence on phones and other devices that have made us into slaves of technology.

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