Seine-Port is introducing restrictions on phone use in streets, shops and parks – but young people say there’s little else to do
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.
The village has also approved a charter for families on children’s use of screens: no screens of any kind in the morning, no screens in bedrooms, no screens before bed or during meals. If parents of teenagers sign a written agreement not to give their child a smartphone before the age of 15, the town hall will provide the child with an old-fashioned handset for calls only.
As I said to the other person- I’ve had people looking down at smartphones plow into me on the sidewalk. I’ve seen people looking down at their smartphones and crossing the street almost get run over. It does affect other people. Including making noise since there are plenty of people who think the world wants to hear whatever they want to hear on their phone.
This is absurd. People run into each other occasionally, with or without cell phones.
This isn’t a minor violation. It’s completely, unforgivably, obscene. There’s no possible scenario where it could possibly be justified or forgiven, and no possible scenario where a government could possibly be excused in having that authority.
I think you’re being a little hyperbolic here. They aren’t rounding up people and arresting them for pulling their phones out of their pockets. The article literally says-
And the majority of the town voted for it.
So I’m really not seeing the issue here.
I’m not. I’m dead serious.
Having the law on the books, without enforcement, should get their charter revoked. It is not acceptable.
If you are dead serious, and a non-enforceable ordinance that a majority of the voted in favor of in a democratic election is “completely, unforgivably, obscene,” I guess you’re more a fan of dictatorships.
It doesn’t matter if every single person in the town voted to put a rule on the books taking away a basic freedom.
Opposing aggressively authoritarian violations of basic human autonomy is not supporting dictatorship. There are some things a government unconditionally should not have the capacity to restrict. Being a modern human using basic modern tools is one of them.
Again- no one’s freedom is being taken away. You can stand in the middle of town and spend hours looking straight at your phone and not a single person can do a thing to stop you.
I agree that there are some things a government shouldn’t have the capacity to restrict. Nothing is being restricted here.
The fact that the law is on the books is a restriction completely independent of any enforcement.
It cannot possibly be acceptable.
I’m sorry, you’re getting worked up over a nothingburger and acting like a small town in France is akin to North Korea or something.
That used to happen with people reading newspapers. It was a movie cliche for someone to bump into a love interest because they were walking while reading.
Sure, and if there were an unenforceable 'no walking down the sidewalk while reading a newspaper ordinance," I’d be just as unconcerned about this.
But it’s not, “No walking while reading.” It is, “No reading in public.”
From the summary at the top of this post:
“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.”
Okay, but either way it’s not enforceable. So why do you care?
I was only addressing your claim that phones present a new danger that makes sense to regulate. Then you claimed the law was only about reading and walking.
I was responding to this:
Having a smartphone can affect other people. And I don’t care about unenforceable ordinances.
I didn’t quote your noise argument because I agree.
I quoted and responded to this:
“I’ve seen people looking down at their smartphones and crossing the street almost get run over.”
Okay? How is that untrue? I never said that was a reason for regulation.