Sweden Calls On Parents to Cut Phone Use Around Kids
Research reviewed by the agency found that excessive parental screen use disrupts meaningful interactions with children and is directly linked to higher screen consumption among the children themselves, according to a Swedish broadcaster.
Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed made clear the findings carry weight beyond what most families have appreciated.
"I don't think people think that it affects children to the extent that we now know it does," he said.
The new guidelines are unambiguous in their direction: phones should be put away whenever parents are spending time with their children, unless the device is being used as a shared activity between adult and child.
The recommendations come after the Swedish government commissioned the agency last year to formally investigate the relationship between parental screen behavior and children's well-being — elevating what was once largely anecdotal concern into official public health guidance.
Beyond individual habits, the agency is encouraging families to carve out designated phone-free zones within the home, specifically naming bedrooms and dining areas as spaces where face-to-face interaction should take precedence over screens.
Helena Frielingsdorf, a psychiatrist and investigator at the Public Health Agency, put the issue in direct terms.
"Children are influenced not only by what adults say, but also by what adults do," she said.
"Therefore, small changes in everyday life can make a difference both for the interaction here and now and for the child's own habits over time," she added.
The guidance extends further, advising adults to cultivate healthier personal screen habits more broadly and to think carefully about privacy considerations before sharing photos or videos of their children on social media.
Monday's release builds on a prior round of recommendations issued in 2024 focused on children's screen use directly, which included age-tailored advice on capping daily screen time.
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