Sweden says children under the age of 2 should not be exposed to any digital screens. The recommendations, issued by the Scandinavian country’s public health agency earlier this month as a new school year begins, are the latest in a worldwide effort to limit screen time for young children. The coronavirus lockdowns exacerbated the problem as schools turned to Zoom for distance-learning and parents relied on TV shows and movies to keep their children occupied while they worked from home.
Sweden suggests that toddlers should not have any exposure to digital screens, including television. The recommendations ease slightly as the children age: From 2 to 5 years old, they should have a maximum of one hour a day in front of a screen, while for youngsters aged 6 to 12 it's two hours. Teenagers should have no more than three hours of screen time a day.
Sweden's suggestions came after research found that children reported negative effects like poorer sleep, depression and limited physical activity with high use of digital devices.
Similar recommendations have come out of other countries as well, including the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia and France.
France has the strictest suggestions so far, saying children under 3 should not have any time in front of screens. The recommendation comes from a report published in April that was commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron.
Ireland and the U.S. say babies and toddlers can engage in video calls with family and friends — though Canada, Australia and Sweden do not make such distinctions.
Cellphone bans are already in place at many schools across the United States. Cellphone pouches, lockers and bins have grown in popularity to help carry out the prohibitions.
But the bans aren’t always enforced, and students often find ways to bend the rules, like hiding phones on their laps. Some parents have expressed concerns that bans could cut them off from their kids if there is an emergency, such as a school shooting.
But while the bans are gaining traction, many experts say they’re not enough. They argue for alternative stimulation: steering students outdoors or toward extracurricular activities to fill time they might otherwise spend alone online. And students need outlets, they say, to speak about taboo topics without fear of being “ canceled ” on social media.
A 2023 UNESCO report says while digital technology can augment education — through new learning environments and expanded connections and collaboration — it comes at a cost to socialization and real-life learning. Negative effects on physical and mental health also play a role.
The report additionally noted insufficient regulations around unauthorized use of personal data for commercial purposes, as well as the spread of misinformation and hate speech online.
“Such challenges may cancel out any benefits,” the UNESCO authors wrote.
And a study published last year in JAMA Pediatrics researched a potential link between screen time for young children and developmental delays.
“In this study, greater screen time for children aged 1 year was associated with developmental delays in communication and problem-solving at ages 2 and 4 years,” the study said.
Policymakers and children’s advocates are growing increasingly concerned with teens’ relationships with their phones and social media.
Last fall, dozens of U.S. states, including California and New York, sued Instagram and Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children.
In January, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about their platforms’ harms to young people.
Now Sweden's public health agency has called for tech companies to change their algorithms so children do not get stuck doom-scrolling for hours or watching harmful content.
FILE - A 11-year-old boy plays with his father's phone outside school in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell Monday as a strong year for the market looks set to end on a sour note.
The S&P 500 fell 0.8% in afternoon trading. Roughly 90% of stocks within the index lost ground. With just two days left in 2024, the benchmark index is still on track for its second straight yearly gain of more than 20%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 319 points, or 0.7%, as of 12:27 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.8%.
Big Tech companies were among the heaviest weights on the market, worsening the slump. Apple fell 1% and Microsoft fell 1.1%. Their pricey valuations tend to have an outsized impact on the broader market.
Boeing fell 1.8% after one of its jets skidded off a runway in South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 people aboard. South Korea is inspecting all 737-800 aircraft operated by airlines in the country.
The disaster was yet another blow for Boeing following a machinists strike, further safety problems with its troubled top-selling aircraft and a plunging stock price. Its shares have declined more than 30% this year.
Airlines wavered in the wake of the crash. United Airlines fell 1.2% and Delta Air Lines slipped 0.5%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and gained 1.4%. They all include Boeing aircraft as part of their fleets.
Bond yields fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.56% from 4.63% late Friday. The yield on the two-year Treasury fell to 4.26% from 4.33% late Friday.
Crude oil prices rose 1.2%. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market. The sector rose 0.4%, making it the only sector gaining ground within the S&P 500 index.
Natural gas prices jumped 10%. That helped support gains for natural gas producers. EQT Corp. rose 5.3%.
Indexes in Europe and Asia mostly fell.
Markets are nearing the close of a stellar year driven by a growing economy, solid consumer spending and a strong jobs market. Wall Street expects companies within the S&P 500 to report broad earnings growth of more than 9% for the year, according to FactSet. The final figures will be tallied following fourth-quarter reports that start in a few weeks.
Wall Street was encouraged by cooling inflation throughout the year that had brought the rate of inflation close to the Federal Reserve's 2% target. That raised hopes that the central bank would deliver a steady stream of interest rate cuts, which would ease borrowing costs and fuel more economic growth.
The Fed cut interest rates three times in 2024, but has signaled a more cautious approach heading into 2025 amid stubborn inflation and worries about it reheating. The latest report on consumer prices showed that inflation edged slightly higher, to 2.7%, in November.
Worries about the potential for inflation reigniting have been further fueled by tariff threats from incoming President Donald Trump. Companies typically pass along the higher costs from tariffs on goods and raw materials to consumers.
Investors have very little corporate and economic news to review this week, which is shortened by the New Year holiday. Markets will be closed on Wednesday.
On Thursday, investors will get an updated snapshot of U.S. construction spending for the month of November. On Friday, Wall Street will receive an update on manufacturing for December.
FIL:E - The New York Stock Exchange is shown in New York's Financial District on Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)
Participants perform a traditional hand clap at the end of a ceremony to conclude the year's trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Nikkei 225 index is seen on screen at the site of a ceremony to mark the last trading day of the year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Visitors look at the end of a ceremony to conclude the year's trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Participants perform a traditional hand clap at the end of a ceremony to conclude the year's trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A staff works on the last trading day of the year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Nikkei 225 index is seen on screen as a TV camera crew films the site of a ceremony to mark the last trading day of the year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Participants attend the end of a ceremony to conclude the year's trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Media wait for the ceremony to mark the last trading day of the year at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Hiromi Yamaji, CEO of Japan Exchange Group (JPX) delivers a speech at the end of a ceremony to conclude the year's trading at the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
FIL:E - People photograph the New York Stock Exchange in New York's Financial District on Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)
People walk in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
FILE - The New York Stock Exchange is shown behind the statue titled "Fearless Girl", Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
