The U.S. surgeon general’s office released a “Harms of Screen Use” bulletin on May 20, warning that children and teens are spending more time on digital devices than sleeping or attending school. The advisory, released as the current nominee for surgeon general awaits confirmation, links excessive and “compulsive” screen use to poor sleep and school performance, mental health issues like anxiety and depression, behavioral and social issues, substance abuse, and developmental disruptions.
According to the report, poorer language, educational, and health outcomes follow early and frequent exposure to social media, phones, tablets, computers, games, apps, and television. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated in the opening that while screen use can have benefits, “the evidence of a range of risks to children’s overall mental and physical health is mounting,” noting that social media is only one aspect of an ongoing problem involving gaming, online gambling, and other forms of virtual interaction.
Guidelines and Recommendations
The advisory provides age-based screen time guidelines: children under 18 months should have no screen time; children under 6 should have less than 1 hour per day; and children ages 6-18 should have only up to two hours daily—a significant departure from the eight-plus hours teens ages 13-18 currently average. The advisory offers the “five Ds” as a framework for establishing healthier habits: discuss healthy screen use with household members; do model healthy behavior yourself; delay screen time from the earliest age possible; divert attention to other healthy activities like physical activity; and disconnect regularly with daily screen-free time such as family dinner.
Broader Actions
The toolkit accompanying the report suggests schools can implement bell-to-bell ban policies during school hours and dedicate instructional time to media literacy. Health care providers can ask about screen usage during annual well-child visits, while policymakers can pass laws demanding child safety and privacy protection and fund research. Tech companies are called to prioritize child safety and design platforms accordingly.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2026/05/20/surgeon-general-screentime-warning-limits/90181203007/