From screens to books: Sweden’s shift in policy

It is alarming to see a generation that is digitally proficient but lacks fundamental knowledge due to heavy digitalisation. A recent study shows that, for the first time in history, a new generation may score lower on standardised academic and cognitive measures than their predecessors.
The study results posit that shorter attention spans, social media influence and dynamic shifts in the educational system and parenting practices have led to a decline in the reasoning faculty. As the world moves towards digitalisation and automation across industries, Sweden has quietly taken a step back to move forward in global education policy.
For many years, Sweden adopted tablets and screens in schools, but has now reversed its policy and started reinvesting in more traditional, structured forms of instruction, such as handwriting and printed textbooks.
Sweden experienced intensified stakeholder concerns about a decline in reading performance and excessive screen time from 2021 to 2023. There was widespread criticism of digitalisation in Swedish schools.
Many government officials also spoke publicly about the widening of learning gaps and how excessive screen time is eroding children's cognitive abilities and concentration in basic literacy.
The reason for Sweden’s shift in education policy stemmed from alarming performance among learners in reading, writing and math. Research shows that excessive exposure to devices during a child's early years can affect and harm their concentration, handwriting and deep learning capabilities.
Many sections of society raised their voices about the impact of increased screen time on children's sleep, anxiety, attention span and overall wellbeing. Sweden's policy reform indicates that governments are taking notice of the alarming risk of a possible cognitive catastrophe among learners through a constructive, actionable policy recalibration.
Sweden’s response to excessive digitalisation is an institutional effort to redesign teacher-education programmes to balance human and digital skills. The policy focuses on preschool and compulsory schooling, covering the age group of one to sixteen.
In 2023, Sweden subsidised textbooks; in 2024 they passed a law guaranteeing every learner access to proper printed teaching material. In 2025, Sweden made it compulsory for schools to have staffed and well-equipped libraries. From July 2026, national tests in year three will remain a pen-and-paper exam.
Sweden has decided to impose a nationwide ban on mobile phones during school days from July 2026, subject to legislative implementation and preparation. The government has also made amendments to the pre-school curriculum, so that it is no longer mandatory for learners to use digital tools for learning and that, for children under the age of two, only analogue learning tools such as books should be implemented.
To strengthen learners' foundations in reading, writing and arithmetic, compulsory schooling will run from age six to sixteen (10 years) from 2028. There is a broader reform package that aims to modernise the curriculum across STEM and AI to mitigate learning gaps and promote and strengthen vocational pathways, which will be implemented in a phased manner from 2026 to 2030. Unesco’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team reports that, as of 2024, 79 educational institutions worldwide have introduced some form of smartphone restriction.
Many other countries are experiencing similar challenges and some have introduced bans or strict restrictions on smartphones in schools. In Europe, this development is seen in France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain and Luxembourg.
In South Korea, there is a nationwide ban on smartphones in schools and in China, students need parental consent to use mobile phones in class. India has tightened restrictions on mobile phone usage, without a nationwide ban.
In North America, Chile and Brazil; and in many schools in the USA, rules have been introduced to limit phone use. The UAE Ministry of Education has banned students from bringing mobile phones to school.
The ability to understand what one reads is foundational for all subjects within a school curriculum. Digital technologies should enhance, not hinder, learners' growth and thinking capabilities. In the pursuit of profit and progress, are we willing to confront the unintended blind spots and black boxes?