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1. National strategy

2. Media literacy and online safety through formal education

3. Promoting media literacy and online safety through non-formal and informal learning

4. Raising awareness about the risks posed by new media

National strategy

In 2015, the Government commissioned the Swedish National Agency for Education to propose two IT strategies, one for preschool and compulsory education and one for upper secondary education. The agency has completed the task and reported to the Government in 2016. The strategy includes the following vision for 2022:

• All students develop adequate digital skills.
• The school system is characterized by the potential of digitalisation, so that digital tools and resources contribute to improved results and efficiency.

The current national digitalisation strategy for schools applies to the years 2018–2022. The government has tasked the Swedish Education Agency (Skolverket) with developing a proposal for a new national digitalisation strategy for the years 2023–2027. The proposal was presented for the government in December 2022.

The Swedish Criminal Code prohibits hate speech, defined as

...´a statement or other communication that is disseminated, threatens or expresses contempt for a population group by allusion to race, colour, national or ethnic origin, religious belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity or expression.`

(Swedish Criminal Code Chapter 16, Section 8)

Media literacy and online safety through formal education

In March 2017, the Government decided on the following adjustments in curricula and syllabuses that aim to strengthen media literacy and online safety in different ways:

• programming is introduced as a distinct element in various subjects in compulsory education, especially in technology and mathematics
• the abilities of students to critically evaluate sources is to be strengthened
• the abilities of students to solve problems and translate ideas into action in a creative way with the use of digital technology is to be strengthened
• students are to work with digital texts, media and tools
• students are to use and understand digital systems and services
• students are to develop an understanding of the impact of digitalisation on the individual and society.

The amendments apply from July 2018. The Swedish Agency for the Media (Mediemyndigheten) and the National Agency for Education (Skolverket) are the main government actors responsible for promoting the use of digital media, empowering  children and young people as conscious media users and protecting them from harmful media influences.

The Swedish Agency for the Media is responsible for the Swedish part of the EU Commission's project Safer Internet, to promote a safer and better use of the internet and mobile technologies among children and young people. Safer Internet Centre Sweden (SIC SE) works with the concept of MIL based on the UNESCO framework and definitions, with minor national adaptations. The Swedish Swedish Agency for the Media’s learning tool MIL for me, an online training resource on media and information literacy, is presented at the Safer Internet network's site Betterinternetforkids.eu and avaible in Swedish at MIL Sweden's knowledge bank.

The digital training materials in 'MIL for me' are aimed for strengthening young people’s skills to cope with anti-democratic messages at the Internet and in social media. Part of that work is to strengthen young people's critical thinking and their abilities to evaluate different sources in relation to the media. 

‘MIL for me’ won the prize for the best educational tool in media and information literacy for children and young people of the European network Insafe (a part of the Safer Internet).

Promoting media literacy and online safety through non-formal and informal learning

The Swedish Agency for the Media (Mediemyndigheten) is a government agency devoted to gathering, interpreting and disseminating research on children's and young people's use of media. The council also produces information and teaching materials on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for schools and libraries.

The Swedish Agency for the Media has, during January 2015–June 2016, been responsible for the Swedish part of the EU Commission's project Safer Internet, to promote a safer and better use of the internet and mobile technologies among children and young people.

Safer Internet Centre Sweden (SIC SE) worked with the concept of MIL based on the UNESCO framework and definitions, with minor national adaptations. The Swedish Agency for the Media’s learning tool MIL for me, an online training resource on media and information literacy, is available at the Safer Internet network's site Betterinternetforkids.eu, as well as at the web site of the Swedish Agency for the Medial.

The digital training materials in 'MIL for me' are aimed for strengthening young people’s skills to cope with anti-democratic messages at the Internet and in social media. Part of that work is to strengthen young people's critical thinking and their abilities to evaluate different sources in relation to the media. 

‘MIL for me’ won the prize for the best educational tool in media and information literacy for children and young people of the European network Insafe (a part of the Safer Internet).

Raising awareness about the risks posed by new media

Use of new media and mental well-being

The Swedish Agency for the Media conducted a study in 2020 on Swedish young people's self-estimated mental well-being in relation to their self-estimated media use, Young people, media and mental illness (Unga, medier och psykisk ohälsa). The results show that there is a correlation between poorer mental well-being and more extensive media use among Swedish teenagers. However, the connections are rather weak.

Assignment on digital media use among children and young people

In 2023, the government tasked the Public Health Agency with collecting and compiling knowledge about the connections between health effects and digital media use among children and young people. The assignment included, based on the knowledge compilation and research situation, producing age-appropriate guidance and recommendations regarding digital media use in the children and youth group. The Public Health Authority must finalize the assignment by December 2025 at the latest. During 2024, interim reports have been submitted.

The first interim report is a compilation of knowledge about digital media and the health of children and young people. The research results show that digital media use can lead to sleep problems, depressive symptoms and negative body image, and that both total screen time and the content of the digital media are important for health. Children and young people describe that it is easy to get stuck with digital media, and that this affects, for example, sleep and physical activity. Furthermore, the statistics show that symptoms of mental and physical ill-health are more common among children and young people who often use digital media.

As part of the government's mission, the Public Health Agency has produced recommendations for screen use for children and young people, based on the results of the knowledge compilation. The aim is to promote a better balance between screen time and other important parts of life such as physical activity, sleep and other health-promoting activities for children and young people, and to reduce exposure to inappropriate content. The recommendations include, among other things, that screens are not used before bedtime and that mobile phones, tablets and the like are left outside the bedroom during the night. A rule of thumb is that 13-18 year olds only should use a screen for a maximum of 2-3 hours a day. 

The Public Health Agency has also issued calls to the tech companies behind the large digital media platforms. This is because the combined knowledge shows that the algorithms create an environment where children risk getting stuck and where they can be exposed to harmful content.