Sweden says screen time should be banned for children under 2

Excessive exposure to screens has been a concern for child health experts for years, but now Sweden has taken a bold step by suggesting stricter measures. Public health officials in Sweden have recommended that digital media and television use be banned entirely for children under the age of two.

The decision is based on growing fears that screen time is contributing to significant problems in childhood development, including sleep difficulties, mental health issues and other complications.

The new guidelines, issued by Sweden’s Public Health Agency, also set strict limits for children of other ages, seeking to mitigate the negative effects that technology could be having on younger generations.

The recommendations are clear and firm. For children between two and five years old, screen time should not exceed one hour a day. Those between six and twelve years old should limit their exposure to one or two hours a day. As for adolescents between 13 and 18 years old, the suggested limit is three hours a day.

The Agency has also stressed the importance of avoiding the use of devices before bedtime and has advised that devices be kept out of bedrooms at night. These guidelines come in a global context where Internet addiction and dependence on digital devices are on the rise, affecting not only teenagers and pre-teens, but also younger children.

Swedish Health Minister Jakob Forssmed has expressed concern about the penetration of screens into all aspects of children’s lives. According to Forssmed, Swedish teenagers aged 13 to 16 spend an average of six and a half hours a day in front of a screen, outside of school hours.

Especially when compared to their counterparts in the United States, where teenagers can spend up to 8 hours and 39 minutes a day using devices. Forssmed highlighted that this prolonged use of technology not only reduces the time spent on physical and social activities, but also affects rest, which has led to a “sleep crisis” in Sweden.

More than half of Swedish teenagers are not getting enough sleep, a phenomenon largely attributed to constant activity on social media and other digital outlets.

Concerns about the long-term effects of excessive screen use are not new, recent studies have shown that excessive device use is linked to mental health problems such as depression and body dissatisfaction.

Furthermore, lack of sleep, another common effect of prolonged screen time, has serious implications for young people’s development and well-being. The effects aren’t just limited to teens; researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia have found that even infants and toddlers who spend time in front of a screen are at increased risk for displaying atypical sensory behaviors.

These behaviors are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sweden’s recommendation is a warning sign about the need to reevaluate how children interact with technology at home and in society at large.

While technology offers countless benefits, these must be balanced against the risks, especially for younger people. The Swedish Public Health Agency’s proposal reflects an effort to protect future generations from adverse effects that could have a lasting impact on their health and well-being.

The implementation of these measures could serve as a model for other countries facing similar problems in their own youth populations, highlighting the urgent need to intervene before negative effects become an accepted norm.

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