Elina Väntönen, Helsingin Sanomat's US correspondent, wrote in the newspaper about her 9-year-old child's engagement with smartphones since the family moved across the Atlantic.
Väntönen wrote that there seems to be a vast difference between the age when a child gets a phone in the US and Finland.
Before moving to the US, Väntönen assumed that the screen time of US children was probably on par or greater than that of Finnish children. However, she was a bit surprised at how uncommon cell phones for children were.
Väntönen initially had a phone for her daughter, but soon realised that she was the only one in her second grade class with one.
She was a bit perplexed by this at first, but realised there's a more logical explanation. In Finland, young children often walk alone to home, school, hobbies, the library and anywhere else. In the US, children under the age of 13 are rarely unaccompanied in public.
Väntönen pointed out that this is even enshrined in law in her state of Maryland, which states that children under the age of eight cannot be unattended at home or in a car.
Due to their lack of independence, there is less justification for US children to get phones than there is for their Finnish counterparts.
Surveys confirmed Väntönen's anecdotal observations on the basic differences between Finland and the United States.
In Finland, 'virtually all' 7-year-olds have their own phone (although Väntönen noted that there is no up-to-date scientific study), while only 42 percent of American children have a phone by the age of 10, and only 71 percent of 12-year-olds.
Väntönen also emphasised that schools' attitudes are different on both sides of the pond. In Finland, teachers cannot prohibit students from using their phone for the entire school day. Generally in the US, phones must be turned off and out of sight during teaching.
Väntönen noted that her family's experience is mostly centred around her suburb of the US capital in Maryland and that she cannot speak for the entire country.
Yle News' All Points North podcast has explored Finland's relaxed attitudes toward kids and smartphones.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Ready for the Finnish line
Tabloid Iltalehti showcased the Finnish Olympic uniforms for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.
The Finnish Olympic team will wear outfits designed by Rukka, a brand owned by sportswear firm Luhta, at the opening ceremony, medals ceremonies and during their free time in and around the Olympic locations.
Luhta has designed the Finnish Olympic team's uniforms since 2017.
According to the Finnish Olympic Committee, the uniforms have been designed with the circular economy, the wishes of the athletes and the conditions of Paris during July and August in mind.
"The idea and inspiration for the collection was 'light and shadow' — their variation and meaning. In Finland, the amount of light varies with the seasons — in spring the day gets longer and the amount of light increases towards the mid-summer nightless night," Luhta's sales manager Pasi Luumi said in a press release.
"In sport, winning moments are celebrated in the spotlight, but there is a huge amount of hard work and shadowy moments behind the scenes. In the Olympic collection, the colours of the clothes are light in the front and darker in the back, highlighting the light coming from the front and the shadow behind," Luumi added.
Infuriating Finglish
Languages adapt and change over time, and the English language has had a profound effect on Finnish vocabulary — for better or worse.
Finnish women's magazine Me Naiset is hosting a vote on the most infuriating Finglish words, which use English and Finnish mixed together.
On the ballot are words and phrases like brainstormaaminen, ignoorata, nexti leveli, dissata, and influensseri.
Past reader surveys by the magazine have asked readers to vote on the Finnish language's ugliest, funniest and most beautiful words.
Among the past winners, the most beautiful was äiti (mother), the ugliest was masuasukki (a Finnish word for a fetus that directly translates as belly dweller) and the funniest was juhannussima (a double entendre about a summer holiday drink and someone named Juha engaging in a risque act).
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