New guidelines from Norway’s health ministry say children aged 12 or under should not have access to the internet without adult supervision.
Norway’s Ministry of Health and Care Services on Thursday launched new recommendations on reduced screen use and smart phone access for children and teenagers.
The recommendations include advice that under-12s should not go online without adult supervision.
“The government is committed to ensuring our children have a safe digital upbringing. Many have called for clearer professional guidance, and I hope this can serve as a useful tool,” Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre said in a statement.
The guidelines also state that children under the age of two should avoid screens entirely, while children aged 2-5 should have no more than 30 minutes to an hour each day of recreational screen time. For children aged 6-12, screen time should be a maximum of 1-1.5 hours per day.
Teenagers aged 13-18 are advised to spend no more than 1.5–3 hours per day on screens in their free time.
The new screen time advisories, first announced in the summer, have now been finalised with the Ministry of Children and Families after being sent out for public consultation. They are Norway’s first-ever official guidance on children’s screen and online consumption.
“Children should not just be left alone with algorithms and tech companies. Parents, guardians and authorities have a responsibility to give children and young people a safe digital childhood,” the Minister for Children and Families, Lene Vågslid, said in the statement.
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The guidelines also include specific advice on how parents should limit their children’s access to devices with internet access such as smartphones and tablets.
These state that children under 12 should not use any such device without supervision and parental controls on the device.
Other guidelines issued by the include advising parents not to let children use screens to calm them down when upset, or to distract them from negative feelings. Screens should not be used at mealtimes (including by parents), and should not be on in the background.
Children should not use screens within an hour of bedtime and should not keep a device by their beds.
Finally, screen time should not take preference over physical activity, play, school or social activities.