A European city has banned the use of mobile phones in public spaces: "They feel we are interfering in their lives"
Residents of Seine-Port (France) have adopted a motion that prohibits the use of mobile phones in public spaces, as reported by Ouest-France.
The mayor believes that this is a public health issue and aims to help parents in particular limit the time spent in front of screens.
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The 1,800 residents of Seine-Port (Seine-et-Marne), as well as their visitors, will now have to limit the use of mobile phones on the streets.
Voters were called to the polls on February 3rd to decide whether to restrict the use of smartphones on the streets or not. The pro-restriction camp won with 54% of the votes cast.
This restriction is a first in France. The charter proposed by the municipality prohibits the use of smartphones in shops, in front of schools, in parks, or while walking on sidewalks.
Health authorities regularly draw attention to the harmful effects of excessive screen time, especially for young children, but no local authority has yet taken the step to adopt such a measure.
The charter serves as a stimulus and does not provide any sanctions for those who violate it.
A public health issue
Vincent Paul-Petit, the mayor of Seine-Port, told Le Parisien that he does not intend to take punitive measures: "People feel we are interfering in their lives. I don't want that! But there is a public health issue. We need to help them".
The charter encourages parents to ban screens in the morning, at mealtime, before bedtime, and in the bedroom.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children under 2 years old should not be exposed to screens, and for those aged 2 to 5, screen time should be limited to one hour per day, researchers emphasize. In France, the age limit without screens tends to be set at 3 years, at the initiative of the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication.
