Toddler Parents Alert: Strictly No Screen-Time For Children Below 2, Says Sweden

Contrary to the belief that excessive screen time can damage a child’s eyes, It has been found that it doesn’t damage the eyes only. There’s a lot more at stake and parents, especially those of toddlers below 2, need to be aware of the potential risks. 

Swedish Authorities issue guidelines for screen-time

The guidelines issued by Sweden's Public Health Agency focus on 4 key points. These are:

Duration of screen time: 

According to Sweden's Public Health Agency, toddlers under two years old should avoid screen exposure entirely. They also recommend specific screen time limits: no more than one hour per day for 2-5-year-olds, two hours per day for 6-12-year-olds, and three hours per day for teenagers.

Monitoring and filtering: 

Parents should be aware of what their children are watching or doing on their tabs. The age limits for the specific content and games should be followed. 

Prioritizing sleep: 

It has been advised that parents should not allow screen time before bed. In fact, parents should follow this, too. Also, there should be no screens in the bedroom. 

Self-reflection: 

Parents should be mindful of their own screen time, as it can limit their interactions with their children and set a negative example.

The idea is to take back control and give children a different kind of childhood, one that is not influenced by what they do or see online. This step is bound to create a positive impact by limiting distractions, supporting the healthy growth and development of the children, and keeping their innocence intact. 

We interviewed Nitin Pandey, an Early childhood development & education Expert for his perspective on these guidelines released by Sweden's Public Health Agency. He said, “I wholeheartedly support this. Let's understand what the screen does for a child and how the screen is being used today. You have to look at it from both perspectives.”

He elaborated, “The screen distracts the child. The screen exposes the child to hyper-stimulating content, and I mean to include most of the children's content out there too. This stimulation leads to the release of dopamine, the hormones that make the child feel happy and pleasant, and guess what, it is really addictive. You can relate to this if you watch a toddler watching the screen. Even if you shake them, they won't react. Even if you disturb them, they won’t budge, they will be focused on the screen. If you try to switch off the screen, they will throw tantrums and perhaps start crying.”

Talking about how the screen is being used by parents, Nitin explained, “If you see how a parent uses the screen for the child today, most of the time, it is to distract the child to get something else done. For example, to make them eat food. To keep the child engaged. I understand that sometimes this is unavoidable for the parent. But, let's understand how it is not really great for the child. When a child is eating while looking at the screen, s/he is missing out on the taste, the texture, and the aroma of the food. The child is eating but is not really recognising and registering it in their senses. Children are eating without even looking at the food at times.”

Nitin believes that the guidelines are really great. He says “In the first two years, the child needs multi-sensory experience in the real world, form one-to-one connections, have peer & other social interactions, explore nature and their surroundings, rather than being on the screen and getting distracted. Screen exposure at a formative age of under 2 years is a hurdle to a toddler's holistic development.”

What are your views on this revolutionary step taken by Sweden's Public Health Agency?