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French town bans phone scrolling - 1st April 2024

In Seine-Port, a pretty French village south of Paris, there's a new ban on using smartphones. Locals voted for the ban due to worries about the effect of smartphones on human relationships.

Adults and children are banned from scrolling on their screens in public areas, such as in schools and parks. The local government's encouraging cafes and restaurants to display signs which say they're smartphone free zones. These places can choose not to serve customers who break the law. Posters outside the local primary school advise parents and children to remove their mobiles. Now, rather than using digital maps in town, you have to actually ask someone for directions!

It's true that the local law will be hard to enforce by police. However, Vincent Paul-Petit – the town's mayor – is keen to make it clear that the ban isn't anti-smartphones. It's to remind users to be more careful. He'd like to protect places for proper human communication. The mayor knows smartphones prevent people from enjoying the moment. He also knows they're challenging to give up.

For parents like Ludivine, the ban's important for their children's health. "A lot of children and adults are intoxicated by screens," she says, "even babies". However, younger people like Gabriel, who's 20, disagree with the ban. "You can't ban knowledge at your fingertips," he says.

Research has shown that scrolling for long periods can result in physical problems, such as back and eye issues and muscle tiredness. Whether smartphones have a negative effect on our social connections isn't completely understood.