Commission suggests gadget ban for kids under 13

Trivselskommissionen, established by the government in 2023, recommends that children should not own personal smartphones or tablets until they reach the age of 13 to create space for play, movement, focus, communities, recreational activities, and physical interaction with friends and family. On Tuesday, the commission proposed 35 recommendations, including using basic phones or watches with calling and SMS capabilities instead. The objective is to tackle wellbeing challenges and to prevent devices from dominating children’s lives and affecting their self-esteem. Though there’s no call for legislation, the ministers involved encourage domestic conversations about the recommendations. The commission also stated that most young people are doing well but emphasize the need to address wellbeing challenges and suggest revising the 7-point grading scale to have less disparity between grading steps.