The French village where residents voted to ban people using phones in public places

A French village has voted to ban people scrolling on their phones in public, with signs showing a mobile phone with a red line through it on display everywhere – like the one in the window of the local hairdresser.

- Angelique Chrisafis

“Everyone is struggling with too much screen time,” said Ludivine, 34, 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, in shops , cafes or restaurants and while parents wait for their children in front of the school gates. Those who might check their phone 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, in bedrooms or at meals. If parents of teenagers sign an agreement not to give their child a smartphone before 15, the town hall will provide a phone for calls only.