“Ration” the internet to “3 gigs a week”? Najat Vallaud-Belkacem’s surprising proposal to ‘liberate’ the French from the screens
The former Minister of Education called for a reduction in screen time for French people and proposed the idea of limiting internet access to 3 gigabytes per week.
In a column that appeared on Monday, March 18 in the FigaroNajat Vallaud-Belkacem advocates a reduction in screen time for the French. In particular, the former Minister of Education proposes to “ration” internet access to 3 gigabytes per week per day.
“I would like us to think concretely about ways to ration the Internet, for example by allowing a limited number of gigabytes per day,” she argues. The former minister cites several factors that would justify this restriction: the ecological argument, which confirms that digital technology is “one of the largest sources of pollution”, but also public health and social issues.
‘Scarcity requires a certain wisdom. If we know we only have three gigabytes to use per week, we’re probably not going to spend them posting hateful comments or creating counterfeits. Maybe we’ll stop.’ “We consider it ‘normal’ to spend several hours on pornographic sites and watch ultra HD videos,” says Najat Vallaud-Belkacem. According to her, reducing screen time could have many “beneficial consequences”: “In terms of cognitive development, for health, but also to combat discrimination, harassment and global warming,” she summarizes in the columns of Figaro. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem goes further and talks about the possibility of “coding without a computer, with pencil and paper”.
“The worst way to approach the debate”
According to Ademe, digital represents 2.5% of the carbon footprint in France, or “slightly more than the waste sector”. According to figures from Arcep, the French use an average of 14 gigabytes of internet per month on their phones alone. An average household uses an average of more than 220 gigabytes via the internet box.
Authoritatively ration the internet?
Probably the worst way to approach the debate about our relationship with screens.
Dealing with risks deserves so much better than a Manichaean and above-ground approach to the digital space whose uses are as numerous as its users. https://t.co/8YMCHCvxcA
— Marina Ferrari (@FerrariMarina73) March 18, 2024
The State Secretary for Digital Affairs, Marina Ferrari, for his part quickly opposed the proposal from the former minister, who describes the idea of an ‘authoritarian’ rationing of the internet as ‘probably the worst way to approach the debate about our relationship with screens’: ‘Dealing with the risks deserves so much better than a Manichean and -or- touch approach.” an area of digital space whose uses are as numerous as its users.”
