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A city in Japan has submitted a proposal to cap smartphone usage to two hours a day outside work or school.
In a move to "prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues, including sleep problems," the two-hour cap will be a recommended limit for those residing in Toyoake City and won't be binding, according to TRT Global. People won't be penalised for going over the limit. If the proposal passes, it will come into effect in October.
The draft urges primary school pupils to avoid smartphones after 9pm, while secondary school pupils and older are advised not to use them after 10pm. However, it has prompted an online backlash, who thought the proposal was unrealistic.
That made me wonder: is it really that impossible to try to adhere to just two hours of scrolling on my phone? And would it be a good idea for Malaysia to follow the city of Toyoake?
I'm Not Addicted to My Phone
When I look at my daily screen time, it made me want to sign up for an exorcism. Last week, I was averaging close to 9 hours of screen time, with the most used app being — and I'm embarassed to say this — TikTok.
As I'm reflecting on this, I'm not surprised even though I'm disappointed in myself. It's actually disturbing how often I go on TikTok. I hop on it not long after I open my eyes in the morning, I let it play while I'm getting ready for work, and I scroll on it as I'm chewing on my food. Why was I spending so many hours on the phone when I "never have time" to clean the house or even binge a show on my watchlist?
After the social media apps, reading is why I spend most of my day on my phone. But recently, I managed to push the number down. I got my hands on an e-reader, which gave me a reason to put away my phone. But, it still doesn't seem enough. The weekends are the worst because a free day at home meant that I was wasting away the hours swiping my thumb up and down.
It's the same for my friends and family, who often complain that they're barely getting enough sleep.
I'd ask, "Why can't you sleep earlier?"
To which, they'll sheepishly respond, "Because at night, that's the only time I have to be on my phone."
It's a toxic cycle. For some reason, we long for the vapid, lobotomising glow of a big, high-tech rectangle, despite the fact that we could using that free time to do something as necessary as sleep.
I've tried setting limits on apps, which helped. A bit. The thing about these app limit features is that it's more about your discipline because you can easily switch it off. Which I've admitted done many times before.
I've seen people (on TikTok) make the switch to old-school mobile phones with the tactile buttons and a screen as big as my thumb. And while it's tempting to whip up my old Sony Ericsson and start going about my day, it's pretty hard to do that now.
Should Malaysia Have A 2-Hour Limit Too?
Today, most of us use some sort of app for work or school. Whether it's Slack or Teams, our main means of getting our jobs or schoolwork done is through in-app communication. Most of these apps are almost never available on old mobile phones, and that's probably why we're on our phones a lot.
Two separate surveys in 2023 found that Malaysians spend an average of seven to eight hours a day online, making us the country with the longest time spent online worldwide. While that itself is alarming, most of us probably don't have digital addiction — which was formally recognised by the World Health Organisation as a worldwide problem in 2020. Yet.
The study categorised participants device usage into communication (61%) and information gathering (52%) purposes. They were least likely to use devices for gaming (16%) and online shopping (13.83%), which suggests the high screen usage is often driven by educational purposes rather than by addiction, The Star reported.
A national average of up to 8 hours online is still a cause of concern, though. And maybe a simple, top-down rule like Japan's would be difficult to implement and likely to fail. It is quite easy to bypass built-in app limits on our phones — a simple time-based restriction isn't enough to solve a complex issue.
Rather than telling people what they can't do, perhaps it's a better ideas to provide the tools and understanding to help everyone have a healthier relationship with technology. One that isn't dependent on phones for "the fun of it".
I'm glad that there is such a proposal from Tayoake City. As "unrealistic" as it may be, it's gotten me to think about how often I'm looking at my phone. Two hours of screen time is certainly something I'd like to strive for so I have free time for my friends or just to touch grass.
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