Part 1 - Option 1 - Question 3 · Inglés PAU Cantabria Extraordinaria 2026

Option 1

Screen time in Japan

1 Amid growing concerns about excessive screen time, the city council of Toyoake in Japan is asking its residents to limit their recreational use of smartphones and tablets to no more than two hours per day. Official guidelines on the use of digital devices came into municipal law in October 2025. The mayor of Toyoake explained: “Digital technologies are wonderful, but it is important to limit the time we spend on them for non-work or non-educational purposes. We also need to think about our youth. Many children and teenagers have their own smartphones and bedrooms. With nothing else to do, they spend hours staring at screens. Day turns to night, their sleep suffers, and the cycle repeats.” The primary purpose of the law is to ensure sufficient sleeping hours among children and adolescents. For children aged 6 to 12, the guidelines recommend switching off phones and tablets by 9:00 pm to ensure that sleep is not disturbed. Older children, and even adults, are encouraged to switch off by 10:00 pm.

2 The Toyoake city council first proposed the law in August and immediately received criticism from residents. Local councillor Mariko Fujie argued: “Many residents believe this is total nonsense. For my part, I feel a strong resistance to regulating people's free time with a law.” Councillor Fujie also published an open letter in the local newspaper arguing that the guidelines were not based on scientific evidence. However, several studies carried out in Asia have confirmed the negative impact of screen time on wellbeing. For example, one study of teenagers in China found that sleep patterns, social relationships, and academic performance were all negatively affected by the number of hours participants spent on their devices.

3 In reality, the law is more symbolic than enforced. The Toyoake city council will not track residents' phone usage, and it will not issue fines to those who exceed the recommended two-hour limit. Instead, the guidelines are more about encouraging users to carefully consider their screen time. Although the measure was controversial at first, many residents have responded positively to it. University student Shoki Moriyama has reduced his screen time from eight hours to just under two, admitting that although it had been a struggle, it was worth it: “I now use that extra time to study or go to the gym.” Local resident Akari Saito agrees: “I found it especially hard to put my phone away during the train to school or while I was walking, but I can see that reducing my phone use will allow me to spend my day more meaningfully.”

Adapted from Time, December 2025

Question 3 [1.5 points]

Find in the text a word or phrase that corresponds to the meaning, definition, or opposite of each of the following.

0.375 points each.

A.

B.

C.

D.