In April, the Swedish Public Health Agency (FHM) was commissioned by the government to investigate the earliest age at which children should get their own smartphone, and on Thursday the agency recommended that children under the age of 13 should not have their own smartphones.
The recommendation was received with mixed reactions by the Internet Foundation.
Children's digital everyday lives are an important issue and many parents are seeking support, says Jannike Tillå, the organization's head of communications and community service.
At the same time, it is not the technology itself, the phone, in this case, that is the problem, but how it is used and what digital environments the children are in.
Broader discussion
Tillå wants to see a broader discussion about the online habits of children and young people.
The internet is a central part of children's lives, both socially and educationally. We need to talk about more than just a ban.
Parents must receive better support and children must also develop their skills, because at some point they will be introduced to the digital society they live in.
Risk of exclusion
According to FHM, 90 percent of ten-year-olds in Sweden have their own smartphones. Jannike Tillå believes that the new recommendation could lead to children being excluded.
That risk exists, and we must not forget the benefits that come with a smartphone. It can provide security for parents to have location services, so that you can see where your children are.
The most important thing is that it's not just about technology being bad, but that this is about what children encounter online, she says.
