Sweden's Public Health Agency: No smartphones for children under 13

Sweden's Public Health Agency has issued a new recommendation: children under 13 should not own smartphones. This guidance comes after the government tasked the agency with investigating the appropriate age for children to receive their first smartphone.

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There are several sides to this coin.

The recommendation has met with mixed reactions from the Internet Foundation, an organization focused on digital life. Jannike Tillå, the foundation's head of communication and societal benefit, acknowledged the complexity of the issue. "There are several sides to this coin," she stated.

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It is not the technology itself, the phone in this case, that is the problem but how it is used and what digital environments children are in.

Tillå emphasized that the problem isn't the technology itself but how it's used and the online environments children navigate. She advocates for a wider conversation about young people's online habits, noting that the internet is integral to their social lives and learning. "We need to talk about more than just a ban," Tillå said, stressing the importance of equipping children with digital competence for the society they live in.

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The internet is a central part of children's lives, both socially and for learning. We need to talk about more than just a ban.

The Internet Foundation also raised concerns about potential exclusion, as 90 percent of 10-year-olds in Sweden reportedly already own a smartphone. Tillå pointed out that smartphones can offer benefits, such as location services that provide parents with a sense of security regarding their child's whereabouts. "The most important thing is that it doesn't stop at the technology being evil, but that this is about what children encounter online," she concluded.

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That risk exists, and we must not forget the benefits that come with a smartphone. It can be a security for parents to have location services, so they can see where their child is.