No Screens Before Age of Two, Swedish Health Authority Tells Parents

Children under the age of two should not be exposed to any screens whatsoever and teenagers should have no more than three hours of screen time a day, according to guidelines announced by health authorities in Sweden. Parents and guardians should think about how they use screens with their children and tell them what they are doing on their phones when they use them in their presence, the advice says. The guidelines, announced on Monday, mark the first time that Folkhalsomyndigheten, Sweden’s public health authority, has stipulated how parents should regulate screen time.

Screen use among two- to five-year-olds should be limited to a maximum of one hour, while children aged between six and 12 should not use screens for more than two hours. Among 13- to 18-year-olds, the limit is three hours. This is a sharp reduction on the current average screen time figures among Swedish children and young people, which is estimated to be four hours a day for nine- to 12-year-olds and more than seven hours a day — not including schoolwork — for 17- and 18-year-olds. Editor’s note: the headline was revised to match the original wording used in the linked article. H/T to user cmseagle. Error is regretted.