Finland: No screen time for young children

Young people should wait to use social media until they are at least 16 years old, according to new Finnish guidelines on screen time. Furthermore, children under the age of two should not use any screens at all.

In 2022, Norway issued new guidelines on screen time, recommending that children should reduce their time on screens and that children under the age of two should avoid them altogether, while Sweden issued its guidelines in September this year, reaching similar conclusions.

Now Finland has also published new national advice on the use of screens, through the Finnish Brain Association and others. The recommendations are based on research and have been developed by Nina Sajaniemi, neuropsychologist and professor of education, and Silja Kosola, associate professor of adolescent medicine.

Socializing without mobile phones

Children between the ages of two and six should not use screens for more than one hour a day and the content should be child-friendly. Furthermore, children under the age of two are advised not to use screens at all.

Teenagers should wait to get social media until they are 15 to 16 years old, and it is considered best to wait to give your child a smartphone until they are at least in secondary school. Children and adults are also advised to reduce their use to a maximum of two to three hours a day.

Furthermore, Finns are encouraged to socialize without mobile phones and parents should set a good example for their children when it comes to screen use.