Sweden's Public Health Agency on June 1 called on parents to put away mobile phones when spending time with children, aiming to improve parent-child interaction and reduce children's screen time habits [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The agency recommended creating phone-free zones at home, such as bedrooms and dining tables, to foster more family engagement [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Research cited by the agency shows that parental screen use negatively affects interactions with children and that children often adopt similar screen habits as their parents [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Many parents of 10- to 12-year-olds acknowledge their own screen use is excessive, with over half self-reporting this issue [2, 3, 6]. Children frequently feel frustration over parents' phone use and conflicts arise when parents post children's photos or videos online without permission [2, 3, 6].
Swedish Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed noted, "Many adults want to take more responsibility but the new mobile technology is so powerful that sometimes people just want to check and can’t put it down. Many don’t realize this impacts children so much and causes more conflict and frustration because parents aren’t truly 'present'" [2, 3, 5, 6].
The Public Health Agency's 2026 guidelines for adults focus on changing screen use behavior rather than setting strict screen time limits, differing from the 2024 child screen time recommendations [2, 3, 5, 6]. Psychiatrist Helena Frielingsdorf from the agency explained, "Children are influenced not only by what adults say, but also by what adults do. Therefore, small changes in everyday life can make a difference both for the interaction here and now and for the child's own habits over time" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Since January 2026, Sweden's government has banned smartphone use at school for students in grade 9 and below, roughly ages 15 to 16 [1, 4]. However, unlike Australia, Denmark, and Norway, Sweden has not enacted laws restricting children's social media use [2, 3, 6].
The Public Health Agency began studying adult screen use impacts on children's health in 2025, following the issuance of screen time health advice for children in 2024, which recommended limits on screen exposure [2, 3, 5, 6]. Today’s call to parents to limit phone use marks the latest step in the country’s efforts to address screen time across generations [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
