ATLANTA — The U.S. Surgeon General is warning parents about the effects excessive screen time could have on children and teenagers.
CBS correspondent Michael Wallace reports a new advisory says children and teens are spending more time on digital devices than they are sleeping or attending school.
“Children and teens are spending more time on their digital devices than attending school or sleeping. It links excessive screen time to lower grades, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse,” Wallace said.
The advisory encourages young people to “live real life” and urges parents to set limits on screen use at home.
Health officials recommend children younger than 18 months have no screen time. The advisory also recommends children under 6 spend less than one hour per day on screens, while children ages 6 to 18 should limit screen time to no more than two hours daily.
Officials said teenagers currently average more than eight hours of screen time each day.
The advisory also outlines different approaches for healthy screen habits. Recommendations include discussing healthy screen use as a family, modeling positive screen habits, delaying screen exposure for young children, redirecting children toward physical activity and other responsibilities, and scheduling regular screen-free time.
