U.S. surgeon general links screens to health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a new surgeon general advisory on May 20 that casts harmful screen use among children and adolescents as a public-health concern rather than only a parenting or school-discipline issue. The advisory and an accompanying toolkit say screen use is linked to poorer sleep, language and developmental outcomes in younger children, and to mental-health and behavioral concerns in teenagers, particularly around social media. HHS said the guidance is aimed at children and adolescents ages 0 to 18 and is meant for families, schools, communities and governments. ### Who issued the warning, and what exactly did the government say? HHS said on May 20 that the Office of the Surgeon General released “The Harms of Screen Use,” an advisory and toolkit on protecting children and adolescents online. The department said the warning was issued even though the U.S. surgeon general post has been vacant since January 2025, a point EdSurge noted in its coverage of the release. (hhs.gov) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, wrote in the advisory that evidence of risks to children’s mental and physical health is “mounting,” while the HHS webpage says harmful screen use among children and adolescents “has become a public health concern.” Stephanie Haridoplos, director of national health communications for the Office of the Surgeon General, said the government was calling for “urgent action” at home, in schools and across online platforms. (hhs.gov) ### How much screen use is the advisory talking about? HHS said national estimates show adolescents average seven to nine hours a day on entertainment screens. The department also said children and adolescents now spend as much or more time on screens as they do sleeping or in school, and that most adolescents report using devices right before bed. (hhs.gov) The advisory does not frame the issue only as total hours. HHS says the risks depend on both exposure and the digital environment itself, including apps, smartphones, tablets, chatbots and other screen-based interfaces. Kennedy wrote that the problem extends beyond social media to gaming, online gambling and other virtual interactions. (hhs.gov) ### What harms does the advisory link to screens? HHS says early exposure to screens carries developmental and cognitive risks, and that screen use in early life is linked to poorer language outcomes. For school-aged children, the department says excessive screen time is linked to poor educational and health outcomes. For teenagers, the HHS summary points to added mental-health and behavioral concerns, particularly related to social media use. (hhs.gov) Sleep appears repeatedly in the government’s guidance. HHS says screen exposure can disrupt healthy sleep, which it describes as fundamental to learning, mood, behavior, physical health and overall development. The press release also lists rising anxiety, depression, obesity and developmental challenges among the consequences Kennedy associated with heavy screen use. (hhs.gov) ### What does the government want schools and families to do? The HHS toolkit organizes its advice around what it calls the “5 Ds”: Discuss, Do, Delay, Divert and Disconnect. The department says families should set expectations, model healthy behavior, delay access to screens and devices where possible, provide offline alternatives, and create regular screen-free times, including before bedtime. (hhs.gov) Schools are directly named in the advisory’s action list. HHS said schools can reduce or ban non-instructional device use, strengthen digital-citizenship education and create more opportunities for in-person engagement. EdSurge reported that the advisory also points toward bell-to-bell cellphone bans, screen-time limits and exceptions for students with individualized education programs or assistive-device needs. (hhs.gov) ### Why does this matter beyond family screen rules? EdSurge reported that the advisory lands as districts continue to debate one-to-one device programs adopted during and after the pandemic, with schools reporting concerns about attention, behavior and student mental health. That report also said the federal guidance goes beyond parents and schools by calling on tech companies to change product features tied to engagement, including notifications and recommendation systems. (hhs.gov) HHS said the advisory is intended to support action by schools, communities and governments, and the full report includes sections on “From Evidence to Action” and “What We Can Do.” The advisory and toolkit are now posted on the HHS surgeon general website, where the department says they can be downloaded by families, educators and community organizations. (hhs.gov) (edsurge.com)