RESTRICTING SMARTPHONE USE: Sweden emerges as the recent country to ban exposure to any kind of digital screen, including television by children below the age of 2. The move is the latest in a series of actions undertaken by the Governments of European countries aimed at restricting screen time for children. The Swedish Public Health Agency has come up with guidelines that specify the screen time limit for children of various age groups.
The restriction recommended relaxation with increasing age as evident from the fact that teenagers are permitted up to three hours of screen time a day. The guideline prescribes two hours of screen time for children between the ages of 6 to 12 besides stating clearly that children of 2 to 5 years of age should not be permitted screen time of more than one hour a day.
The Swedish Government’s decision came amidst the research findings that showed a direct and indirect correlation between enhanced screen time and troubled sleeping behaviour, symptoms of depression, along the negative impact on physical health.
Which other countries are restricting smartphone use among children?
Earlier similar initiatives directed at restricting smartphone use have been undertaken by the respective governments of the United States, Finland, Netherlands, France and Australia. France has placed similar restrictions that bar children below three years of age in front of the screens following the recommendations from a report published in April 2024. France has also initiated a trial ban on smartphone use in school for children below the age of 15 and plans to implement it countrywide from January if found successful.
Apart from banning smartphone use among toddlers, some countries are restricting smartphone use in schools as well. Smartphone use is banned in a number of schools across the United States. Recently, Australia has been contemplating banning social media usage by children below the age of 16.
January 2024 also witnessed a major change in the Netherlands, where digital devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches in classrooms, were banned. The Dutch Government entered the debate of restricting smartphone use along with devices like tablets and smartwatches in most secondary school classrooms across the country and later extended the recommendation to primary schools.
Along similar lines, the Finland Government is drafting a law aimed at restricting smartphone use in schools after Finland’s National Agency for Education recommended restricting smartphone use only during break periods. The anticipated bill to place tighter curbs is expected to be brought to be debated and voted upon in the parliament in the autumn session.
How are parents reacting to it?
In 2023, a voluntary initiative by parents in an Irish town named Greystones made headlines as they collectively decided to limit smartphone use by their children until they attain secondary school. While a section of parents are rejoicing at the decision as they feel the absence of social media will allow a break from a sedentary lifestyle for their kids.
Others are worried that restricting smartphone use might cut them off from any interaction with their wards, especially at times of emergency like school shootings. School shooting, which involves the use of firearms to conduct an armed attack at educational institutions, often grips schools in the US from time to time as the country struggles to regulate gun violence due to leniency in gun laws.
How did smartphone use gain prominence among children?
The increased screen time for both adults and children is often attributed to the time of the COVID-19 pandemic-related social restrictions. The pandemic that saw the imposition of lockdown resulted in further isolating kids from the joy of ordinary childhood characterised by forming friendships in schools and while pursuing other social activities. The distant mode of working enabled through digital devices alienated the kids further from their parents. While the kids themselves were caught up with online learning, parents further encouraged them to spend more time on digital devices so that they were permitted time to work from home.Â
Although the world is now freed from the pandemic-related restrictions, hybrid as well as online modes of working have trailed on. Similarly, online learning has emerged as a new reality, and children across the world are adopting it. Besides using cell phones for educational activities, kids are glued to their screens as they are increasingly getting addicted to social media.
Why are countries restricting smartphone use among children?
A number of reasons are behind the decision aimed at restricting smartphone use among children and adolescents that are taking shape across the world. In fact, a shocking revelation in 2023 that Social media giants like Meta are deliberately designing features that are addictive to children, which led to the filing of a lawsuit against this company by 33 states of the United States, including California and New York, can be seen as a historic moment.
Additionally, it is believed that the action of restricting smartphone use is, to a large extent, motivated by the sincere effort of an initiative by Digital Pause. Digital Pause is a knowledge hub based in Copenhagen and Brussels which works on reducing the presence of screens in schools and screen time in children’s lives. Founded in 2022 by Emilie Normann, the European organisation collects facts, insights and articles on kids and screens from international media and research in its attempt to achieve a screen-free childhood.
Based on its research findings, it highlights the negative impact of increased screen time and technology on children’s development. Too much screen time causes emotional and behavioural problems, including hyperactivity, poor concentration, short attention span, and difficulty in social interactions. Moreover, there is adequate research to show the complex interconnection between enhanced screen time for young children and developmental delays, which is a growing cause of concern among parents and paediatrics.
Should India contemplate restricting smartphone use?
Although India has laws in place to regulate social media, it lacks any specific law restricting smartphone use in general and social media in particular. India’s regulations are mostly targeted to protect users from cyber breaches and other threats encountered by social media use.
The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Regulations, 2021 is enacted by the Government to regulate the operations of social media businesses in the nation and mandates social media intermediaries to hire Indian-based grievance officers for handling user complaints and removal of specific sorts of information within 24 hours of receiving the complaint. The laws also require social media sites to use automated methods to identify and remove inappropriate content, including defamatory, obscene or information that is intrusive to one’s privacy.
Additionally, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023 is aimed at processing digital personal data in a way that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their privacy and the demand of the state for lawful purposes. In the presence of the above laws, the lack of law related to restriction of smartphone usage or social media among children is surprising for a country where the average screen time for the citizens exceeds 6 hours, which is almost 2 hours more than Japan records the least average time spent on screen. Therefore, in the above light, India must ponder over the existing loopholes and frame its regulations accordingly to address the growing issue.
FAQ
Why is Sweden in the News?
Sweden emerges as the recent country to ban exposure to any kind of digital screen, including television, by children below the age of 2. The move is the latest in a series of actions undertaken by the Governments of European countries aimed at restricting screen time for children.
Which other countries are restricting the use of smartphones among children?
Earlier similar initiatives directed at restricting smartphone use have been undertaken by the respective governments of the United States, Finland, Netherlands, France and Australia.
How did smartphone use gain prominence among children?
The increased screen time for both adults and children is often attributed to the time of the COVID-19 pandemic-related social restrictions.
How are parents reacting to it?
While a section of parents are rejoicing at the decision as they feel the absence of social media will allow a break from a sedentary lifestyle for their kids, others are worried that this step might cut them off from any interaction with their wards, especially at times of emergency like school shootings.
Why are countries restricting smartphone use among children?
A shocking revelation in 2023 that Social media giants like Meta are deliberately designing features that are addictive to children, which led to the filing of a lawsuit against this company by 33 states of the United States, can be seen as a historic moment. Additionally, it is believed that the action of restricting smartphone use is, to a large extent, motivated by the sincere effort of an initiative by Digital Pause.
Should India contemplate restriction of smartphone use?
Although India has laws in place to regulate social media, it lacks any specific law limiting smartphone use in general and social media in particular. India must ponder over the existing loopholes and frame its regulations accordingly to address the growing issue.
