Sweden's public health agency has issued new guidelines urging parents to put away their phones when spending time with their children and to designate certain areas of the home as screen-free zones. This follows research showing that adult screen use can negatively affect interactions with children and influence their own screen habits.
New Recommendations for Parents
The agency, which had previously encouraged parents to reflect on their smartphone use around children, now offers more concrete suggestions. "Put your phone away when you're with your child. Use it only if you need to or when you're using it together," the health authority stated. It added that adults who create good screen habits for themselves will positively influence their children's habits.
Parents are also advised to declare parts of the home, such as bedrooms and dining tables, as "screen-free zones." Additionally, the agency urges parents to "protect and respect your child online. Think before posting pictures or videos."
Research Findings
The Swedish government commissioned the public health agency last autumn to investigate the connection between children's health and parental screen time. The research found that parents' screen use could harm interactions with their children and that children of heavy screen users tend to develop similar habits.
"I don't think people realise that their screen use affects children to the extent that we now know that it does," said Jakob Forssmed, Sweden's minister of social affairs, in an interview with the Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
Helena Frielingsdorf, a psychiatrist and researcher at the agency, explained that children are affected "not only by what adults say, but also by what adults do. That's why small changes in everyday life can make a difference, both for interactions in the present and for the child's own habits over time."
Previous Guidelines for Children
Sweden had earlier published screen time limits for children: none for those under two, one hour daily for ages two to five, two hours for ages six to 12, and three hours for ages 13 to 18. The guidelines also recommend that children avoid digital devices before bedtime and keep phones, tablets, and computers out of the bedroom at night.
The Scandinavian country is also implementing a national school smartphone ban, written into its Education Act. From the start of the 2026-27 autumn term, mobile phones will be banned in schools for children up to grade nine (ages 15-16).
