Fighting the smartphone ‘invasion’: the French village that voted to ban scrolling in public
Seine-Port is introducing restrictions on phone use in streets, shops and parks – but young people say there’s little else to do Angelique Chrisafis Angelique Chrisafis in Seine-Port @achrisafis Sat 10 Feb 2024 05.00 GMT
A picture of a smartphone with a red line through it serves as a warning in the window of a hairdresser’s shop in a French village that has voted to ban people scrolling on their phones in public. “Everyone is struggling with too much screen time,” said Ludivine, a cardiology nurse, as she had her hair cut into a bob, leaving her phone out of sight in her bag. “I voted in favour, this could be a solution.”
Seine-Port, in the Seine-et-Marne area south of Paris, with a population of fewer than 2,000 people, last weekend voted yes in a referendum to restrict smartphone use in public, banning adults and children from scrolling on their devices while walking down the street, while sitting with others on a park bench, while in shops, cafes or eating in restaurants and while parents wait for their children in front of the school gates. Those who might check their phone’s map when lost are instead being encouraged to ask for directions.
I get it and I support it too, especially because it’s not enforcable by police, but still changes the attitude towards screens.
For me, it reads like old people doing old people things. Let’s see how it plays out.
Sounds to me like ye olde days when old people would try to ban cycling or book reading in public, because it was predominantly younger people doing it. Or trying to enforce public dress codes.
Just a bunch of whiny old farts who can’t accept the changes of the world and lash out at the youth.
Are you saying only young people are addicted to screens?
That was never said nor implied. What you’re doing is putting the words you want to hear in someone’s mouth.
Don’t. It’s intellectually irresponsible.
They’re saying it’s old people making a bigger deal out of scrolling in general.
Younger people grew up with it, it isn’t something new that they don’t understand.
It’s the old farts like me who blame the phones for the state of things, kinda like how it was videogames, rock and rap music before.
Lots of yellin at clouds
No, that’s not what I’m saying, and I don’t know how you could have come to that conclusion.
Nor was I saying that back when people were calling to ban them, that only young people read books or cycled.
But it’s all stuff that older people perceived young people to be obsessed with, and thus wanted to clamp down on it as a punishment/because they viewed it as being wrong.
Yeah I hope people ask themselves more frequently: “Do I really need to take out my phone now? Is it really that important?”, and rather look at the birds, talk to people, just enjoy life.
Imagine, someone down voted you for your hope for people’s self reflection
As always - decent idea, poor execution.
Enforcement is rarely as effective as education - and it is an issue that probably should be addressed at school or at a young age at home, that notification dopamine hits are easily abused by apps and advertisers, the dangers of walking on pavements while your head’s down, and the pervasiveness of social media or always-connected information and it’s impact on mental health.
After all, behaviours are better changed when you learn why it’s a bad idea, rather than someone telling you it’s a bad idea.