The Brief
- A new Surgeon General’s advisory links excessive screen time in children to poor sleep, anxiety, depression and developmental delays, recommending no more than two hours per day for kids ages 6 to 18.
- Bay Area pediatrician Dr. Keedra McNeill says the medical community has long followed similar guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and that the developing child brain needs exposure beyond screens to reach its full potential.
- School phone bans, already in place at some Bay Area districts, are showing early promise — McNeill says her own child’s middle school has seen improved focus and concentration since implementing one.
OAKLAND, Calif. – The U.S. Surgeon General’s Office is raising new alarms about how much time children spend in front of screens, issuing an advisory that links excessive use to poor sleep, anxiety, depression and developmental delays.
The warning covers everything from social media and tablets to video games and television, and recommends children ages 6 to 18 spend no more than two hours a day on recreational screen time.
But for many families, that number may feel impossible to hit.…