There are pediatric issues.
It's no secret that too much screen time can have a negative impact on the developing mind.
But now Swedish health officials say digital media and TV use by young children should be banned altogether, as it can lead to sleep deprivation, mental health problems and other issues.
The country's public health agency specifically recommended that the devices be banned for children under the age of two. Fortune magazine reported.
It also stipulates that children between the ages of two and five should limit their screen time to a maximum of one hour per day, while children between the ages of six and 12 should not use devices for more than one to two hours a day.
According to the health agency's untested proposal, young people between the ages of 13 and 18 should not spend more than three hours a day looking at screens.
The state agency warned teenagers not to use the devices before bedtime, adding that they should keep devices out of their bedrooms overnight.
The advice comes amid a global technology offensive that has seen teenagers, pre-teens and even young children increasingly glued to screens, creating a global internet addiction crisis.
“For too long, smartphones and other screens have infiltrated every aspect of children's lives,” the country's Health Minister Jacob Forsmed said in a statement, according to Fortune magazine.
Health officials claimed that the country's 13-16 year olds were spending an astounding six and a half hours a day glued to their devices outside of school hours.
Meanwhile, Americans spend an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes on their devices each day. Research shows:
Forsmed said nearly constant screen time leaves little time for “communal” activities, “physical activity” or even sleep.
He claimed Sweden was in the midst of a “sleep crisis” with more than 50% of teenagers not getting enough sleep because they were constantly on social media.
Additionally, research has shown that excessive device use can lead to a variety of negative health effects, including depression, poor sleep, and poor physical health.
Researchers at Drexel University in Philadelphia found that infants and toddlers who are allowed screen time are more likely to exhibit atypical sensory behaviors associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Additionally, because technology-addicted children lack the opportunity to interact with their parents and other children, they may have fewer opportunities to learn to regulate their emotions and be more prone to emotional outbursts.
Unfortunately, when these tantrums occur, parents often hand over the iPad to appease their children, which only perpetuates the same vicious cycle.
