New Surgeon General’s Advisory Warns Screen Use by Children is a Growing Public Health Concern

A new surgeon general advisory is now labeling excessive screen time a public health concern for children and adolescents in America and is calling for urgent action to reverse the harmful trend.A 43-page document released by the Department of Health and Human Services states that early exposure to screens carries developmental and cognitive risks. Screen use in early life is also linked to poorer language outcomes, according to the advisory. The surgeon general’s office says data show children as young as eight now average five hours of screen time a day. That is linked to poor educational and health outcomes in school-aged children. The advisory noted that “technoference” or distractions caused by screen use can impede executive functions like emotional and behavioral regulation, make it harder to interpret social interactions, and can lead to poorer physical outcomes relating to cardiovascular, dietary, and musculoskeletal health.The surgeon general’s advisory reported additional concerns for teenagers, when mental health and behavioral concerns can develop because of too much screen use. Teens now average more than eight hours a day glued to screens and nearly half of them report being targets of cyberbullying.Emerging concerns in adolescence are evolving with long-term impacts that extend beyond childhood. The report cited fast-growing evidence that online exploitation is affecting children with as much as five percent of children experiencing a type of blackmail called “sextortion,” in which sexual information or images are used to extort money or favors from victims before adulthood. The screen time advisory is the first by Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, who was recently named by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy to temporarily head the office. She was appointed to fill the space reserved for President Trump’s nominee, a radiologist Nicole Saphier, whose confirmation is still pending in the Senate. Dr. Saphier was nominated after the confirmation of Mr. Trump’s first choice, Dr. Casey Means, was stalled in the Senate over concerns about her views on vaccines.Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia now restrict or ban phones in school because of concerns about how they can affect concentration and learning. A statewide school ban in New Jersey goes into effect later this year.Other health concerns cited in research show that nearly 40 percent of all children will suffer from nearsightedness by 2050 because of screen use. It also has the potential to disrupt healthy sleep, which is fundamental to learning, mood, behavior, physical health, and overall development.A 2025 study found high levels of screen time under the age of two can bring changes in brain development that are linked to slower decision-making and increased anxiety in teenage years. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding all screen time for babies under 24 months except for video chatting with family. The organization also recommends limiting screen time to one hour a day for two- to five-year-olds.The advisory offers suggestions to help reduce the negative impact of screen use. Top on the list is for parents to set healthy expectations for screen time for their children — and themselves. Children are likely to ignore screen time limits if their parents are constantly viewing screens.Health officials also suggest that parents delay screen time for as long as possible and then establish and normalize age-appropriate limits for time spent and content viewed. The recommendations also suggest scheduled screen-free times for the family such as during meals.The surgeon general’s office said the advisory is not the result of a formal internal study but developed through substantial review of available literature. Advisories are reserved for “significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action,” the report states.

New Surgeon General’s Advisory Warns Screen Use by Children is a Growing Public Health Concern

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