WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday issued a draft U.S. surgeon general's advisory urging families, schools, health providers and technology companies to reduce children's screen time. Titled "Surgeon General's Warning on the Harms of Screen Use," the report calls on parents, schools and all levels of government to work together to shift the use of devices with screens.

"While screen use can have some benefits, the evidence of a range of risks to children's overall mental and physical health is mounting," Kennedy wrote. He also wrote that "Social media is only one aspect of the screen time problem and behavior patterns involving gaming, online gambling, and other forms of virtual interaction are emerging." Kennedy also wrote that "Screen time is shorthand for the entire digital ecosystem of apps, smartphones, tablets, chatbots, and other screen-associated devices and interfaces."

The advisory was issued through the surgeon general's office despite the absence of a Senate-confirmed nominee. Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos is serving as the acting leader of the office while lawmakers consider Dr. Nicole Saphier, and she was given the ability to issue advisories late Monday.

The report acknowledges that evidence around the impacts of screen use is evolving but says the nation cannot wait for every question to be settled before acting. It lists actions from policymakers, industry and parents but does not include prescriptive language or plans to implement those actions.

The advisory suggests parents set no screen time for children under 18 months old, limit children under 6 to less than one hour per day, and limit 6- to 18-year-olds to two hours per day. It recommends that parents consider a family media plan, model healthy behavior and remove devices from children's bedrooms overnight. The report advises delaying screen time from the earliest age as long as possible and then limiting device use once introduced.

For schools, the report suggests "bell-to-bell" phone restrictions. It says health providers can ask about screen use at annual visits. It asks policymakers to provide parents with robust controls over their children's digital lives, create age requirements for some platforms, fund research on the impacts of screen use, and bolster community programs that offer in-person alternatives to digital activities.

The report asks tech companies to design their products for user well-being rather than engagement, and to display warnings about the harms of screen time before each use and nudge users to stop using the products. It encourages young people to "Live Real Life," similar to the campaign Kennedy unveiled in January for Americans to "Eat Real Food."

Dr. Courtney Blackwell, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said parents should not restrict all screen-based media because not all screen use is harmful. "There can be positive uses of screen media, like 'Sesame Street.' It's not just how long kids are spending on screens but really how they're using it and the context of that use," Blackwell said.

By February 2026, 41 states had laws or policies related to K–12 student cell phone use in schools. Australia and India prohibit children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms, and China's minor mode program requires device-level restrictions and app-specific rules to restrict screen time depending on age.