The Harms of Screen Use
This HHS Office of the Surgeon General web resource summarizes the public health case for concern about screen use among children and teens, drawing together research the office has reviewed on how screen use is associated with outcomes such as sleep loss, attention difficulties, mood changes, and social withdrawal. The page frames these as warning signs and risk factors observed across a growing body of research, not as proof that any single child's difficulties are caused by screens alone. It calls for shared responsibility among families, schools, technology platforms, and policymakers to reduce potential harms while preserving the benefits technology can offer. TechKids Foundation cites this page as an official federal public health source establishing that screen-use harms are a recognized area of concern, not a fringe claim.
The page summarizes associations between screen use and outcomes including sleep, attention, mood, and body image.
Calls for coordinated action from families, schools, platforms, and policymakers to address screen-use harms.
HHS, Office of the Surgeon General: The Harms of Screen Use (reviewed May 2026). https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/screen-use-harms/index.html