{"id":2297,"date":"2026-05-21T14:41:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/21\/trump-health-officials-issue-advisory-on-children-and-teens-excessive-screen-time\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:41:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:41:23","slug":"trump-health-officials-issue-advisory-on-children-and-teens-excessive-screen-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2297","title":{"rendered":"Trump health officials issue advisory on children and teens\u2019 excessive screen time"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"fa32833d-af2b-417f-af74-a74b34bdf06a\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Close-up of mobile phones in children's hands\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/0a3b63f291001c45d67b37fba3b251cd6f030d1e\/536_0_5001_4002\/master\/5001.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372.1115776844631\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The US health department recommends screen-time limits for different youth age groups, including no screens for children under 18 months.<\/span> Photograph: StockPlanets\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"fa32833d-af2b-417f-af74-a74b34bdf06a\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The US health department recommends screen-time limits for different youth age groups, including no screens for children under 18 months.<\/span> Photograph: StockPlanets\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\"> Trump health officials issue advisory on children and teens\u2019 excessive screen time<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>HHS advisory says high screen time among youths can be linked to poor sleep and weakened in-person relationships<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Health officials in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Trump administration<\/a> have issued an advisory about children and adolescents\u2019 excessive screen time, warning that negative impacts on sleep and mental functioning have \u201cbecome a public health concern\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/us-surgeon-generals-advisory-warning-on-the-harms-of-screen-use.pdf\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">The advisory<\/a> from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes that the amount of screen time reaches an average of four or more hours per day by the time a child becomes a teenager and can be linked to poor sleep, decreased functioning in school, less physical activity and weakened in-person relationships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cA concern at all stages of life, and a particularly important one around children\u2019s screen exposure, is its potential to disrupt healthy sleep, which is fundamental to learning, mood, behavior, physical health, and overall development,\u201d the report says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The department provided guidance about how to identify harmful behaviors around screens and how to set limits, including no screen time for children under 18 months old, less than one hour per day for children under six and two hours per day for ages six to 18.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cExposure often begins before a child\u2019s first birthday and increases as children age. By adolescence, children may spend more time on screens than sleeping or attending school,\u201d the report says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Efforts to limit screen time outside the US include legislation in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/government\/australia-europe-countries-move-curb-childrens-social-media-access-2026-04-24\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Australia and India,<\/a> which both prohibit children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms as well as China\u2019s \u201cminor mode\u201d program, which requires device-level restrictions \u2060and app-specific rules to restrict screen time depending on age. Many other countries are also considering similar bans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Last month, the Los Angeles unified school district passed a resolution to restrict screen use in public education classrooms. The resolution sets screen time limits for each grade level, eliminates technology for those in first grade and below and bars student-led use of YouTube and other streaming platforms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Separately, a court in New Mexico recently found Meta, the parent company of Facebook, liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children. A court in Los Angeles also found Meta and Google negligent in a social media addiction lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The HHS advisory was compiled and published by agency officials because there is no confirmed surgeon general. Dr Stephanie Haridopolos is now serving as the acting leader while lawmakers consider Dr Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News contributor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWhile screen use can have some benefits, the evidence of a range of risks to children\u2019s overall mental and physical health is mounting,\u201d the HHS secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, wrote in foreword to the advisory that comes with a motto \u201cLive real life\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Kennedy said that social media \u201cis only one aspect of this ongoing screen time problem. Behavior patterns involving gaming, online gambling, and other forms of virtual interaction are emerging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He added that \u201cscreen time\u201d is only an understood shorthand for \u201cthe entire digital ecosystem of apps, smartphones, tablets, chatbots, and other screen-associated devices and interfaces\u201d and that the advisory was not simply a warning but \u201can invitation for all of us to enjoy a broader world, beyond the confines of screens\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In a series of \u201ccalls to action\u201d, the department recommended tracking screen time, taking breaks, creating a set of rules over screens and screen time, the implementation of restrictions by schools and monitoring by doctors. It also calls for researchers to study long-term impacts from screens and evaluate school cellphone policy bans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The advisory comes hand-in-hand with a campaign by Melania Trump who launched a \u201cBe Best\u201d initiative in 2018 and focuses on issues affecting children, including social media and cyberbullying.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/society\/youngpeople\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Young people<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/media\/social-media\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Social media<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/media\/digital-media\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Digital media<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/society\/children\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Children<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/social-media-ban\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Social media ban<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=%20Trump%20health%20officials%20issue%20advisory%20on%20children%20and%20teens%E2%80%99%20excessive%20screen%20time&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/trump-health-advisory-children-teens-screen-time?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F21%2Ftrump-health-advisory-children-teens-screen-time&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/21\/trump-health-advisory-children-teens-screen-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The US health department recommends screen-time limits for different youth age groups, including no screens for children under<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2297\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}