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Sweden ranked second most innovative country in the world

New figures from the Global Innovation Index show that Sweden is the world's second most innovative country, behind only Switzerland.

Published: 27 September 2023 15:39 CEST

Sweden ranked second most innovative country in the world

Battery company Northvolt in Västerås. Photo: Simon Rehnström/SvD/TT

“This provides hope for the future,” Peter Strömbäck, director-general of the Swedish Intellectual Property Office, said.

The index, carried out by the World IP Organisation, a UN organisation, puts Sweden ahead of countries like the US, Germany, Korea and China.

“This gives an image of how the country is performing,” Strömbäck said. “Sweden is doing well with regards to creating knowledge assets, that is to say immaterial assets, and making use of them with the help of intellectual property rights, among other things.”

Sweden invests heavily in research and aims to have high-quality universities, he explained, adding that a key reason for its success in innovation was the way it made use of the good ideas produced at these universities and turned them into concrete products or services.

“We’re good at a lot of things related to energy and the green transition,” he said.

One example of an area where Sweden is performing well is the IT sector, where Swedish innovations and companies are behind many developments in mobile phones. Another bright spot is its life science companies, which have produced important medical innovations on the back of which successful businesses have been built.

Strömbäck believes there will be even more of a focus on energy and the green transition in the future.

“If we didn’t have this power of innovation I would be worried. How would we be able to meet the climate challenges? But I’m happy now,” he said.

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'The situation is dramatic': Sweden issues new advice on screen time for youngsters

The new guidelines, which have been put together by the agency by request from the government, are broken down into age groups, with limits placed on screen time for children and teenagers.

Screen time refers to time spent outside of school or work, for example on social media, watching videos, films, TV or gaming. Other activities like listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks are not included.

There’s no specific time limit advised for adults, but the agency recommends keeping devices out of the bedroom and trying not to use screens for between half an hour and an hour before bed.

For parents, it recommends being aware of your own screen use around your child, as children will often copy their parents or other adults in their life. If you do need to use a phone or device to check a bus timetable, buy a ticket or similar, tell the child what you’re doing to underline the fact that you’re using it for practical reasons and not as a distraction or way to pass the time.

So, what do the recommendations say for children?

0-2 year olds

Children under two shouldn’t use screens at all, the guidelines state, as their development at this age – both cognitive and motor skills – is dependent on interaction and play with others. Their eyesight and cognitive skills aren’t able to process what’s happening on a screen at this age, and, the agency says, research does not appear to show any positive effects of screen time on the health of such small children.

In addition to this, screens can affect their sleep, which is a key factor in health and development at this age.

The agency recommends that children have no screen time of their own, although video calls or looking at photos with an adult are okay. For children with older siblings where parents may struggle to limit screen time, it recommends that parents watch alongside their children and explain what’s happening in a way which both children will be able to follow.

2-5 year olds

For older children, aged 2-5, a small amount of screen time is OK, but no more than two hours a day, the agency says.

“Research can’t say whether it should be exactly one hour or two hours,” Public Health Agency investigator Helena Frielingsdorf told TT newswire. “In some studies, we see negative effects after half an hour, in others after three and a half hours.”

The quality of this screen time is important – choose age-appropriate apps and programmes on services that don’t contain ads, aren’t controlled by viewer algorithms (like YouTube or social media apps, for example), and which don’t include unknown or inappropriate content.

Screen time should also fit into a child’s general routine, ensuring that they have ample time for sleep, movement, social activities, play and learning. Remember that it’s good to set healthy screen time habits early on rather than try and cut down later.

Treat it as a shared activity: watch with your child and talk about it together. This can also be a good opportunity to talk with your child in an age-appropriate way about what they’re doing online. Again: establishing an open dialogue at a younger age will make discussions about the internet and screen time easier to have when your child is older.

The agency also recommends that screens are not used as a distraction or for comfort, as this doesn’t allow children to learn how to manage their feelings on their own.

6-12 year olds

This age group has the same recommendation as for younger children – between one and two hours a day.

Again, the focus here is to make sure your child is accessing age-appropriate media, with no adverts or similar. Children at the upper end of this scale may wish to sign up for social media accounts, but the Public Health Agency recommends waiting until they are old enough (or even longer) before letting them get an account.

Be open with why they can’t have an account yet – explain that they may see scary or uncomfortable content, and research shows that children aged ten and above who use social media often are more likely to be unhappy with their bodies or develop symptoms of eating disorders.

Peer pressure can also be a powerful factor, so talk to the parents of your child’s friends about social media and other screen usage, and try and agree on a limit together.

At this age, it’s important to continue the open dialogue about internet usage, showing that you’re engaged and interested in what they’re doing. Help them to gain a good balance in their daily lives between schoolwork, sleep, movement, hobbies and their social life, and how screens can fit into that. Let them know that if they do see something online which makes them uncomfortable, they can talk to you about it.

13-18 year olds

The Public Health Agency’s recommendations for this age group are no more than two or three hours of screen time a day, not including time spent on school work. This is a sizeable cut for this age group, who on average spend around 6.5 hours a day using screens.

“Children at this age tell us themselves that they use screens more than they want to,” Social Minister Jakob Forssmed told the TT newswire. “That means that we need to give them support to make healthy choices.”

“The reason this appears harsh or dramatic is because the situation is dramatic. Children sitting for 6.5 hours a day outside of school hours, it’s completely ridiculous,” he added.

At this age, things like gaming and social media are more likely to be an issue than watching too much TV. Encourage teenagers to treat others with respect online and let you or another trusted adult know if they are being bullied or contacted inappropriately online.

Some games at this age can include gambling elements, for example in order to win loot boxes or skins. Under-18s are not legally allowed to gamble using real money (or in-game currencies bought with real money), so make sure your child knows this and that they feel like they can talk to you if they feel like things are getting out of hand.

“We know that with more screen time comes increased risk of physical and mental illness,” Forssmed said.

This can be a good age to show an interest in what your child is doing and to discuss how social media makes them feel. Have they seen videos that made them feel uncomfortable? Do they feel less happy after using social media? Try and help them to cut down their social media usage if needed, and encourage screen-free times for the whole family, like during meals or before bedtime.

Encourage them to try new activities which can take up their time, especially if these are with friends.

“We recommend a dialogue, agreeing on screen time rules which everyone understands,” Frielingsdorf said.

If children in this age don’t want to talk to a parent, the agency recommends directing them to child rights organisations like Bris and Ecpat instead.

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