SEATTLE — The Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) has new warnings about the harm of screen use.
“Harmful screen use is a really a very big public health concern, maybe the largest of the 21st century,” Director of National Health Communications for the OSG Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos said.
Haridopolos said that in some cases, children spend more hours on screens than they do at school or asleep, and that the impacts are real.
“It could affect mental health, we see rising rates of depression, anxiety, and unfortunately suicide,” she said. “We also are seeing neurocognitive delays.”
Especially by introducing screen time to children early on, she said it can impact memory, attention, behavior, and physical health too. She added that there are some signs parents can look out for to ensure their children are not using screens in an unhealthy way.
“Compulsive-like behavior, addiction-like,” Haridopolos said. “When you are finding that your children are lying or hiding how much time they are on it.”
And said that leading by example is a great first step to setting guidelines at home.
“If we’re always on our phones and on our screens, I think the kids will also learn that behavior,” she said.
There is a toolkit on the OSG website to help parents set clear screen time expectations for their kids.
