"We’ve had an uncontrolled human experiment going on," says an associate professor in adolescent medicine.
- Yle News
Finland has issued stricter guidelines for children’s use of digital gadgets, including the call for a ban on the use of social media or smartphones for under-13s. The new rules, drawn up by the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the National Agency for Education, were published on Thursday.
The agencies recommend that children under the age of 13 should not have smartphones of their own or be allowed to use social media. The recommendations cover youngsters’ free time, not homework or other school-related tasks.
For younger kids, no screen time at all is recommended for children aged under the age of two, with a maximum of one hour of screen time daily for those aged 2–10, rising to two hours for kids aged 11–13.
According to the guidelines, age limits for games, TV shows, videos and films must be followed to avoid exposure to harmful content.
The recommendations are stricter than a draft version published last autumn, which only referred to banning social media. That attracted an exceptionally large number of comments from parents – more than 6,000 of them – most of whom supported the restrictions. Researchers and experts also urged stricter recommendations.
The THL plans to develop recommendations for 14–18-year-olds later this year.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has also called for a ban on social media for children under the age of 15. His office is preparing a preliminary report on the matter.
According to Yle sources, the government aims to proceed with the matter as quickly as possible. The legislative term ends in the spring of 2027.
"An uncontrolled human experiment"
It's about time, says Silja Kosola, an associate professor in adolescent medicine who has researched the impact of social media.
"We’ve had an uncontrolled human experiment going on. Finland has been a digitally savvy nation, and we have given phones to exceptionally young children. I’m not aware of any other country where first graders have had their own smartphones," Kosola told Yle.
According to Kosola, the responsibility for restricting social media should not be left solely to parents. She warns of the Danish model, which aims to ban social media for those under 15, but allows 13-year-olds to use it with parental permission.
"That actually means the age limit is lower, and the whole idea is watered down. It’s really important that the same age limit really applies to everyone," Kosola said.