Author Yuya Suzuki Donates Books 'I Was Just Looking at My Phone!' to All Elementary and Junior High Schools in Mizunami City, Gifu

Shireru Inc., a company headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture (CEO: Mikan Yamada), which provides PR support for businesses and individuals nationwide, has supported and carried out a book donation initiative by the author of the book it represents, 'I Was Just Looking at My Phone! How to Wisely Navigate the Information Age from Age 13' (author: Yuya Suzuki, published by KADOKAWA). The donation was made to the author's hometown.

The book donation ceremony was held on April 30, 2026 (Thu) at the Mizunami City Board of Education in Gifu Prefecture, where the author, Yuya Suzuki (36), personally handed the books to the city's education director. The donated books will be distributed to all elementary and junior high schools within the city.

Right: Mizunami City Education Director; Left: Author Yuya Suzuki Author and education director discussing smartphone use among youth, with Mizunami City staff

"I want to convey the risks of smartphones to younger generations" — Motivation rooted in hometown ties

Author Yuya Suzuki was born in Mizunami City and graduated from Mizunami Municipal Mizunami Elementary School and Mizunami Junior High School. He began his career as a television broadcaster, worked at a web media company, and currently works at a newspaper while also serving as a researcher at the Keio University XDignity Center, studying information acquisition via smartphones. Wanting young people to start thinking about how they consume information through smartphones during their elementary and junior high school years, and feeling a strong desire to reach local children first, Suzuki was motivated to donate the books to his hometown.

Global moves to regulate smartphones and social media; domestic discussions gaining momentum

Smartphones have become a global concern due to the negative impacts of social media on mental health. In the United States in 2026, Meta and other social media companies faced legal liability for allegedly designing platforms that foster addiction. In Japan, cities such as Toyoake in Aichi Prefecture have enacted ordinances limiting smartphone usage, with similar initiatives being explored nationwide.

In this context, there is growing interest in approaches that focus not on "banning" or "restricting" but on "cultivating independent thinking skills." This book supports such an approach, which led to its approval for donation to elementary and junior high schools.

"Informational Health" — Treating information like food

The book introduces the concept of "Informational Health," advocated by Professor Yamamoto of Keio University. This concept draws a parallel between nutritional balance in diet and balanced information consumption, aiming to maintain mental and physical well-being by avoiding 'informational junk food' and building 'immunity' against misinformation and false content.

Author: Yuya Suzuki (Suzuki Yuya)

36 years old, native of Mizunami City, Gifu Prefecture. Graduated from Mizunami Municipal Mizunami Elementary School and Mizunami Junior High School. Former reporter at Chukyo Television Broadcasting, worked at web media, currently employed at a newspaper. Researcher at Keio University XDignity Center studying information consumption. Regularly gives lectures and presentations across Japan.

Book Title: 'I Was Just Looking at My Phone! How to Wisely Navigate the Information Age from Age 13'

Publisher: KADOKAWA

Price: 1,760 JPY (tax included)

224 pages

Release Date: April 21, 2026

Contact:

Company: Shireru Inc. Address: Wizard Building 402, 1-4-3 Asamacho, Nishi Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture Representative: Mikan Yamada Founded: August 4, 2023 URL: https://shireru.jp/