Put your phone away: Sweden urges parents to restrict screen use around children(theguardian.com)
theguardian.com
Put your phone away: Sweden urges parents to restrict screen use around children
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/01/sweden-urges-parents-to-restrict-phone-use-around-children
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/fhms-nya-uppmaning-till-f...
DeepL translation:
Public Health Agency on Screen Time: New Advice for Parents
On Monday, the Public Health Agency of Sweden released new recommendations regarding parents’ screen use.
The new guidelines urge adults to put away their cell phones when spending time with their children—and to establish cell-free zones in the home.
The new recommendations come after the government tasked the Public Health Agency last fall with investigating the link between caregivers’ screen time and children’s health.
The background is research showing that parents’ screen use can negatively affect their interaction with children. Researchers have also observed a link between parents’ and children’s screen habits, with children of parents who use screens a lot tending to use screens more themselves.
“I don’t think people realize that it affects children to the extent that we now know it does,” says Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed (KD) on Morgonstudion.
Recommends mobile-free zones
The new recommendations urge parents to put away their cell phones when spending time with their children, unless they are using them together with the child.
Guardians are also advised to establish shared mobile-free zones in the home, such as in the bedroom or at the dining table.
“Children are influenced not only by what adults say, but also by what adults do. That’s why small changes in daily life can make a difference both in interactions here and now and in the child’s own habits over time,” says Helena Frielingsdorf, psychiatrist and researcher at the Public Health Agency of Sweden.
“Respect Your Child Online”
The recommendations in brief are:
Develop healthy screen habits for yourself. They influence your child’s screen habits.
Put your phone away when you’re with your child. Use it only if you need to, or when you’re using it together.
Protect and respect your child online. Think before you post photos or videos.
Previously, the Public Health Agency of Sweden published guidelines for children’s screen time, which included various time limits. Nothing similar is recommended for adults.