Man Shuts Down Internet in 2 Towns Attempting to Curb his Kids Screentime!

Attempting to control the amount of time your kids spend on the internet, or just in front of a screen in general, is a problem for many parents around the world. It seems, however, that following a report via Gizmodo, the attempt by one French dad has landed him in more than a little hot water. Not because he didn’t manage to successfully prevent his kids from staying up all night online, but more so, his actions also resulted in shutting down the internet for residents in two whole towns!

Dad’s Plan Backfires (or Works Too Well?) As Internet Gets Cut Off in Two Towns!

The man in question was getting rather frustrated that, rather than going to sleep, his children were remaining consistently up late at night on the internet. In other to attempt to combat this, therefore, he decided to purchase a multi-wave band jammer that he intended to operate between midnight and 3 AM. This is, for those of you unaware, basically a device that is designed to disrupt telecommunication networks.

Now, you might be wondering why he didn’t simply flick the router off? Well, while the report is lacking specific information on this very legitimate point, I suspect that the issue was largely due to them accessing the internet via their phones and/or smart devices rather than any kind of home hub network.

It seems, however, that his attempt to curb his kids late-night internet activities came with two major problems. Firstly, such jamming devices are illegal in France (and much of the rest of the world), but more so, it was so potent that it managed to not just prevent access to the internet for his household, but also two whole towns!

Off to the Bastille!

I do feel a little sympathy for the guy here as he clearly didn’t have much knowledge of the devices and, more so, did not intend for it to have any effect beyond his own household. Ignorance, as they say, however, is no excuse! – Upon being discovered, the dad now faces potentially up to 6 months in jail (likely due to a combination of both owning the device and causing such havoc to the areas internet) as well as a €30,000 fine.

If this story has any moral, therefore, the short version is that it seems pretty clear that if your kids are spending more time in front of a screen than you like, you’re probably far better off asserting a little parental authority and simply taking them off them before they go to bed. It’s 100% effective, and while it might come with a few arguments, at least it won’t cost you €30,000 and a trip to the Bastille!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!