The Press in France | The village that banned smartphones in public

(Seine-Port) Because the smartphone has become “omnipresent” in our lives, a village south of Paris has just banned its use in public places. The decision, contested by some, applauded by others, was nevertheless supported by more than one in two residents. And it is causing a stir throughout Europe, where screen addiction is, as in Quebec, a more pressing problem than ever.

“We are seeing more and more that children and even adults do not have a normal attitude in front of their screens. It is omnipresent. For me, what is happening is serious, and we must act,” says the mayor of Seine-Port, Vincent Paul-Petit, in an interview in his offices at the town hall.

For several months now, stickers reading “commune without smartphones” have been appearing everywhere in this affluent and very charming village “where life is good”, as its motto says, with some 2,000 inhabitants.

This comes from a referendum held on February 3 on the “ban” of smartphones in public spaces such as parks, schools, streets or shops, or even public gatherings.

About 54% of residents voted in favor of the measure, which was accompanied by “recommendations” on healthy use of screens at home, but did not provide for any sanctions.

For the next school year, he will offer all parents who wish to do so the opportunity to obtain a free telephone without internet, which will only allow them to send text messages, make calls or take photos.

“We’re going to give them to all households that agree, in return, not to buy smartphones for their children. And what we hope is that it will generate enthusiasm, that young people will have them in quantity and be able to communicate with each other differently,” Mr. Paul-Petit says.

On two occasions in recent months, the D^D Anne-Lise Ducanda, a doctor and founder of the Collectif surexposition écrans (CoSE), came to give lectures in Seine-Port on the harmful effects of screens on young people. She has been concerned for years about the harmful effects of overexposure to phones on the cognitive development of young people.

A message to get across

In the village, most of the residents we met welcomed the “warning role” that the mayor is playing on the issue of screen addiction, but some are concerned about the very strict way in which this “ban” was presented.

“The approach itself is very commendable. Afterwards, it remains an individual freedom, so everyone is free to do what they want, but it’s rather positive. I see fewer people taking out their phones on terraces, or near schools. We feel that the message has gotten through,” says Murielle Jourdes, who has lived in Seine-Port for several years now.

M^me Jourdes recounts in particular that a few days ago, in front of a school, “a young girl who was on her phone put it away when she saw the policeman arrive.”

“It shows that even if there is no real sanction, young people and those who are not so young have a certain respect for the decision. It is also making its way into their heads and that’s a good thing,” notes M^me Days.

In front of a restaurant she is about to enter for dinner, Édith Duport shares the same opinion. “It generates a lot of discussion. And that’s a good thing, because it’s true that it completely invades the lives of young people. They become dependent on it and we have to ask ourselves questions,” she notes.

“The problem is that we don’t realize how addictive it becomes. We really have to be careful,” says Pascal, a father born in the region. “It was poorly presented at first, with a notion of prohibition that I personally didn’t like, but basically, we completely agree on the awareness effect that it causes,” adds his partner, Nadège, all smiles.

In France, children under the age of 15 are not allowed to have cell phones at school. During a visit to Quebec in April, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he feared a “health and educational catastrophe” among young people.

A debate that is also Quebecois

In Quebec, meanwhile, the Legault government is considering banning cell phones in schools when it renews its “screen strategy.” Cell phones have already been banned in the classroom since last January, but not more broadly.

“This is a very important subject, we recognize that. We did not wait to act, we banned cell phones in classrooms. Should we go further? We are thinking about it, we will get back to you on that,” said Education Minister Bernard Drainville.

Mayor Vincent Paul-Petit admits: “it is a measure which, in itself, is not popular and is not applicable in the same way everywhere”, especially in large cities where the population basins are much larger.

“In France, for example, we know that we will need a helping hand from the State, with much stronger regulations, if we want to go further. But I think that what we can do at our level, we must do to get people to question themselves more,” the mayor says on this subject.

His administration will soon present a film warning about the harmful effects of screens in schools, thanks to a collaboration with the department of Seine-et-Marne, which has more than 1.4 million inhabitants. “We want to make everyone realize that the screen, the attention economy that goes with it, in short the mobile phone, is completely destructive of social ties, of humanity,” concludes the elected official.