The Finnish Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Education and Culture have published digital guidelines for children’s sports and physical activity. The guidelines are based on the national digital guidelines for children aged 0–13, which were published earlier this year by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish National Agency for Education.
A balanced life for children involves getting enough physical activity and limiting screen time. Physical and sports activities offer an excellent break from digital devices while increasing daily physical activity. The digital recommendations for sports promote community and safety in sports and help prevent bullying on social media. The guidelines are intended to support clubs in their activities and apply to athletes up to 13 years of age.
– It’s wonderful that the sports community now has common recommendations for the use of digital devices in children’s and young people’s sports activities, as part of safe and healthy physical activity. The recommendations were developed through collaboration — a big thank you to everyone who participated, says Tiina Kivisaari, Director at the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Summary of the recommendations
- Leisure activities are screen-free. Digital devices are kept out of sight during training sessions and competitions, except for reasons related to safety and health.
- For travel and leisure activities related to hobbies, group activities and socializing without digital devices are being organized.
- Communication regarding after-school activities via messaging apps and social media is handled by the parents or guardians.
- We agree on the rules, which we go over together with the children and their guardians.
The purpose of these recommendations is to highlight the important role of community organizations and the valuable work they do as a source of community and as a counterbalance to leisure time dominated by digital devices. Community organizations can clarify and put these recommendations into practice through joint discussions on guidelines.
– For example, you can come up with many different activities that foster a sense of community with the children during trips to competitions and breaks in tournaments. The idea is that even during free time, people should look up from their screens and enjoy the time spent together, says Elina Laine, Sustainability Manager at the Olympic Committee.
It is the responsibility of adults to ensure that the recommendations are followed
Parents, coaches, team leaders, and other responsible adults in the group play a crucial role in setting a good example and ensuring that the recommendations are followed. Adults should pay particular attention to procedures related to, for example, photography and messaging apps.
The purpose of these recommendations is not to hinder the opportunities and development associated with the use of digital devices. For example, it can be beneficial to use digital devices as a learning tool in training. Furthermore, the digital recommendations cannot be applied as such to guided, trained, and goal-oriented digital sports and e-sports activities.
– In these sports activities, the screen serves as a tool for training, learning, interaction, and community, Laine points out.