U.S. Surgeon General Advises Screen Time Limits for Kids
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
Lindsay Knake is a brand journalist for Blue Cross B...
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in 2026 warning about the dangers of excessive screen time for children, citing links to lasting developmental issues and long-term health conditions.
- The advisory, which gathered scientific studies and evidence, found that excessive screen time is linked to poor physical and mental health outcomes, worse educational outcomes, sleep deprivation, and increased risk of obesity, myopia and musculoskeletal discomfort.
- To combat the risks, the Surgeon General's Office recommends the Five Ds: Discuss, Do, Delay, Divert and Disconnect, and the American Academy of Pediatrics offers screen time recommendations by age: Minimal or no screen time for 18 months and younger, less than an hour a day for 2 to 5 years old, and screen time should not displace sleep, exercise, schoolwork or family time for 5 and older.
The U.S. Surgeon General is warning about the dangers and consequences of too much screen time for children in a 2026 advisory.
Described as a public health concern, early exposure to all kinds of devices can lead to lasting developmental issues and long-term health conditions. The advisory gathered and summarized scientific studies and evidence about screen time for children. Here are some of the highlights from the advisory and some advice on how parents can create healthier screen habits.
The dangers and risks of excessive screen time
Toddlers spend an average of about two hours using media daily, per the advisory. This increases to an average of four or more hours a day for pre-teen and teenagers. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found children age eight to 18 have average nearly eight hours a day of screen time, including on phones, TV, computers and gaming consoles.
Additionally, about half of kids say they lost track of the time they spend on their phone, the Surgeon General’s office reports. Smartphones, gaming systems and platforms like social media are designed to keep people engaged, watching and scrolling.
This screen time is linked to poor physical and mental health outcomes and worse educational outcomes.
Sleep
Using screens before bed is associated with poor quality sleep and less sleep. This may be contributed to using devices instead of sleeping and being exposed to overstimulating content.
Physical health
Adolescents who have high screen time also typically have more sedentary behavior and less physical activity, which can increase the risk of greater consumption of ultra-processed foods, poorer cardiovascular health, obesity, myopia and musculoskeletal discomfort.
Mental and emotional health
Spending too much time on social media is linked to low self-esteem, poor body image, anxiety, depression, aggression and increased substance use. Teens may also experience poor relationships and increased relational conflict. About half of teens report cyberbullying, which contributes to feelings of emotional distress.
Education and development
Early exposure to screens are linked to language, attention and behavioral difficulties, per the advisory.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found children who spend more time on screens scored lower on standardized reading and math tests compared to kids who used screens less or not at all. Every additional hour of daily screen time was linked to about a 10% lower chance of achieving higher academic levels on reading and math tests.
How to help children with healthy screen use
To combat the risks excessive screen time poses to children, the Surgeon General’s Office recommends a strategy called the Five Ds:
- Discuss: Talk about screen use as a family, including what children are watching, what they are interacting with and how the content makes them feel. Then, you can create expectations and goal for everyone to have healthy screen use.
- Do: Adults should model healthy screen use for their children, who pay attention to what adults do in addition to what they say.
- Delay: Delay screen time as long as possible. When children start using screens, follow guidelines for screen time by age.
- Divert: Give children healthy things to do before they turn to screens, such as play, sports, homework or chores.
- Disconnect: Designate regular periods for a complete break from screens. This could include mealtimes and evenings.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers screen time recommendations by age:
- 18 months and younger: minimal or no screen time
- Age 2 to 5: less than an hour a day
- Age 5 and older: screen time should not displace sleep, exercise, schoolwork or family time
Photo credit: Getty Images
