Sweden is taking a closer look at an often-overlooked part of children’s screen use: how much time parents spend on their own phones.
The country’s public health agency has issued new guidance encouraging parents to put their phones away when spending time with their children and to create screen-free areas at home, such as around the dinner table and in bedrooms.
The recommendations follow research commissioned by the Swedish government, which found that parents’ screen habits can affect their interactions with their children. The research also identified a link between parents’ and children’s screen use, with children of heavy screen users more likely to develop similar habits.
The message is therefore not simply about limiting children’s screen time. Health experts say children learn from what adults do as well as what they say. Small changes in parents’ everyday behaviour, such as putting a phone away during family time, can improve interaction and help establish healthier digital habits.
Sweden already recommends limits on recreational screen time for children, ranging from no screen time for children under two to a maximum of three hours a day for teenagers aged 13 to 18. Children are also advised to avoid screens before bedtime and to keep phones, tablets and computers out of the bedroom at night.
The country is taking further steps to reduce phone use among young people, with a national smartphone ban in schools for children up to around age 15–16 being introduced from the 2026–27 school year.
Sweden’s approach highlights a broader issue in the digital age: children’s relationship with technology is shaped not only by rules imposed on them, but also by the example set by the adults around them. Creating healthier screen habits may therefore need to begin with parents themselves.