In Finland, authorities have issued new recommendations regarding screen time for children. Among other things, these mean that children under 13 should not have their own smartphone.

The recommendations come from the Institute for Health and Welfare and the Finnish National Agency for Education. If children under 13 need a phone, it should preferably be a simpler model that can only make calls and send messages.

For even younger children, between two and ten years old, a maximum of one hour of screen time per day is recommended, while children under two should have none at all. Those between eleven and thirteen should have no more than two hours per day.

Screens should also be turned off at least one hour before bedtime, and adults are urged not to use screens to calm children down. At the same time, adults themselves should not spend too much time in front of screens, since children tend to mimic their parents.

No Social Media

The digital content children access should be age-appropriate and support their development. Children under 13 are not allowed to use social media, referring to the platforms’ age restrictions.

The authorities’ next task will be to develop screen time recommendations for teenagers between 13 and 18 years old.

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