The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a warning about children’s screen time, highlighting its negative effects on sleep and mental health. The advisory, released Wednesday (May 20), states that harmful screen use among young people has become a public health concern. Exposure often begins before a child’s first birthday and increases with age. By adolescence, many kids spend more time on screens than they do sleeping or attending school.
According to the advisory, teenagers may spend an average of four or more hours per day on screens, with nearly half admitting they lose track of their screen time. The report notes that excessive screen use can lead to worse sleep, decreased school performance, less physical activity, and weakened in-person relationships. The advisory includes a toolkit with recommendations for limiting screen time, such as no screen time for children under 18 months, less than one hour per day for children under six, and two hours per day for ages six to 18.
The Los Angeles Unified School District recently passed a resolution to restrict screen time in classrooms, making it the first major U.S. school system to do so. The resolution, which passed unanimously, sets maximum daily and weekly screen time limits based on grade level and bans screen time for students in first grade and under. It also eliminates the use of student-owned digital devices during passing periods, lunch, and recess, with limited exceptions for school work.
Experts like Dr. Courtney Blackwell and Dr. John Mann emphasize that not all screen use is harmful. They suggest that the focus should be on identifying and addressing addictive behaviors rather than making blanket recommendations for all children. Dr. Blackwell noted that while some screen time can be beneficial for educational purposes or social support, excessive use can lead to negative consequences.
The HHS advisory, developed in the absence of a confirmed surgeon general, calls for stronger parental tools, school-based phone restrictions, and changes in product design by technology companies. It also builds on the framework of former first lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” initiative, which addresses issues affecting children, including social media and cyberbullying.
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