Although smartphones don’t go back very far, these devices have taken over almost the entire world. The technology that is enabling a new communication revolution is also frustrating many people.
In Seine-Port, a French town of less than two thousand people, a referendum was held last weekend. People voted in favor of restricting the use of smartphones in public spaces.
Walking down the street, sitting on park benches, having a drink in a café, eating in a restaurant, waiting for your child at the school gate, using a cell phone is forbidden on paper in this town.
Those who lose their way are urged to seek the help of bystanders instead of the map on the electronic device.
With the decision, it was also made clear that children are not allowed to use these devices during the day, while eating and before going to sleep at night. If parents make a written commitment that their children will not use smartphones until the age of 15, they will also be given an old-fashioned home phone.
Ludivine, a 34-year-old nurse who says she has two children aged one and four, made the following statements about the referendum
I absolutely support it. Some people say it’s an attack on freedoms, but I don’t think so. It’s about raising awareness about the impact of phones on our lives.
Only 277 people took part in the vote, 54 percent of whom supported the ban.
Mayor Vincent Paul-Petit has begun drafting a municipal resolution on the issue. The local leader, a member of the right-wing Republicans (Les Républicains) party, explains his aims:
We want to protect public spaces from smartphone invasion. It’s not about banning all phones, but protecting social life. Whether it’s games or social networks, we can no longer take our eyes off our screens. We will encourage bakers and butchers not to serve people who are busy on their phones. The word ‘ban’ makes some people uncomfortable, we understand that, but it is important to start the debate.
Police will not be able to fine people for using their phones, as there is no such clause in national law. Under the plans, however, shopkeepers will be encouraged to gently warn customers to limit their phone use.
On the other hand, restaurant manager Angélique da Silva says she cannot ask customers, especially young ones, to put their phones away:
If you take away their phones, they have nothing else. They are not like our generation, they grew up with phones in their hands.
The mayor promised a movie club, a book swap and a sports facility for young people who said they would be bored if they took their eyes off the screen.
In France, smartphone addiction is increasingly being discussed in the political arena. President Emmanuel Macron announced last month that he would consult experts to get their opinion on the use of smartphones, especially by young children.
