Secretary Kennedy Announces HHS Action to Reduce Harmful Screen Use and Protect Children Online

WASHINGTON-MAY 20, 2026-The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Surgeon General today released the Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use: An Advisory and Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents, which raises national awareness about the growing risks associated with excessive and harmful screen use among young people.

Children and adolescents now spend as much or more time on screens as they do sleeping or in school. National estimates show that adolescents average seven to nine hours a day on entertainment screens, and most report using their devices right before bed. What they encounter online and the excessive, and sometimes compulsive, use of screens is increasingly linked to real-world harm.

"Children today spend more time on screens than sleeping, exercising, or engaging face-to-face with family and friends - and we are seeing the consequences in rising rates of anxiety, depression, obesity, and developmental challenges," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "This Advisory equips parents, schools, and communities with clear, science-based strategies to reclaim healthy habits, reduce harm, and help Make Our Children Healthy Again."

"We are calling for urgent action to protect children at home, in schools, and across platforms," said Dr. Stephanie Haridoplos, Director of National Health Communications for the Office of the Surgeon General. "Kids are growing up in digital spaces that were never designed for their safety, and these online experiences are shaping how they think, feel, and interact in real life. We want children to live real life, not be pulled into harmful environments online. This Advisory gives families and communities the guidance they need. History will judge us not only by the steps we took, but by the inaction we allowed."

The Advisory highlights warning signs that screen use may be causing harm. These include irritability when devices are taken away, secrecy around online behavior, withdrawal from offline activities, and repeated attempts to reduce use without success. It also outlines growing risks associated with screen use such as online exploitation, harmful or age-inappropriate content, substance-use promotion, and dangerous viral challenges.

The accompanying Toolkit provides steps that families, schools, and community organizations can use immediately to help children develop healthier digital habits. The Advisory urges action across sectors. Schools can reduce or ban non-instructional device use, strengthen digital citizenship education, and create more opportunities for in-person engagement. Policymakers can advance stronger privacy and safety protections and support long-term research. Technology companies are urged to prioritize user well-being by reducing manipulative design features, increasing transparency, and making safety settings easier for families to use.

The Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use: An Advisory and Toolkit on How to Protect Children and Adolescents is available at www.surgeongeneral.gov. Additional resources for families, schools, and communities are available here.