No Tv Or Mobile For Toddlers, Sweden Tells Parents

On Monday the Sweden government told parents not not allow their toddlers under 2 to watch screens at all. Sweden’s Public Health Agency said that children under the age of two should be kept away from television and other digital screen completely. The department also advised parents to limit screen time to a maximum of one hour a day for kids from 2-5 years old.

It is recommended to use not more than 2 hours a day for kids above 5 to 12 as they are advised to avoid spending more hours in front of a TV or mobile screen. Along with that teenagers have been told to limit their screen time to a maximum of 3 hours a day.

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Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed stated that the family has been allowing smartphones and other devices to enter their kids’ lives for so long that it has been a part of their daily routines. Teenagers spent at least 6 hours a day on screen and more than that outside of school time he added.

This screentime may be a cause to lose kids’ time to be productive, take part in communal and physical activities or lack adequate sleep patterns, Forssmed said. He also stated that more than half of 15-year-olds didn’t get enough sleep in Sweden.

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The health agency has recommended keeping kids away from mobile screens and television before going to bed and keeping tablets or mobile phones outside the bedroom. The government has previously said that the authority is planning to propose a ban on smartphones in primary schools. This was based on the research citing the excessive use of mobile phones which may lead to body dissatisfaction, physical inactivity, eyesight problems and depression.