MOBILE, Ala., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General is encouraging parents to take a closer look at how much time their children spend on screens, citing growing evidence that excessive screen use can negatively affect mental health, sleep, learning, and overall development. It comes amid growing concerns about the time children and teens spend on smartphones, tablets, gaming systems, televisions, and other digital devices.

"The surgeon general looked at a growing body of evidence that showed excessive screen use for children leads to greater mental health problems, reduced sleep, lower educational attainment, and difficulties with concentration and focus," explained Dr. Chelsea Miller, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with AltaPointe Health.

Based on that evidence, the advisory recommends:

• No screen time for children younger than 18 months, including television.
  
  
• Less than one hour of screen time per day for children ages 18 months to 6 years.
  
  
• A maximum of two hours of screen time per day for school-aged children and teenagers.

While technology has become a routine part of everyday life, Dr. Miller says problems arise when screens replace experiences essential to healthy childhood development.

"It really becomes unhealthy when screens start to displace normal development for children," she explained. "For example, if they are gaming instead of going outside to play. Because it's so important for kids to have that sensory input from the outdoors as they develop. Or if it's affecting their sleep or affecting their grades."

She also cautions against relying on devices to calm children during moments of distress.

"One of the bigger problems I see with screen time is when a screen is introduced as a self-soothing measure rather than helping them emotionally regulate themselves."

Mental health professionals say excessive screen use can affect children in multiple ways, especially during critical stages of emotional and social development.

"In this age range, they're trying to figure out their identity," Dr. Miller said. "And if your identity is largely being formed by what you see on the internet, which can be very idealized, we can see symptoms of depression. Also, seeing a lot of the atrocities of the world through the internet can lead to greater anxiety."

Gaming can also pose unique challenges due to how children's brains develop.

"Children's brains develop the reward pathway before they develop the impulse control and executive functioning pathways, which these games prey on, and the kids become very dysregulated when the game is taken away," she said.

For families looking to build healthier habits, Dr. Miller recommends starting with parents' own technology use and replacing screen time with meaningful activities instead of simply taking devices away.

"So if your kid is gaming five or six hours a day, maybe replace that time with outdoor time, in-person friendships, or even reading," explained Dr. Miller.

Perhaps most importantly, she says parents should not fear letting their children experience boredom.

"At the end of the day, it's okay for your children to be bored," Dr. Miller said. "Boredom is great for their brains. It's where creativity, language acquisition, and self-soothing grow, so it's okay to let them be bored."

For parents who have concerns about their child's mental health or emotional well-being, AltaPointe Health offers a range of services for children, adolescents, and families, including outpatient counseling, psychiatric care, school-based services, crisis services, and substance use treatment. To learn more about AltaPointe Health's behavioral health services, visit AltaPointe.org or call (251) 450-2211 for access to care.

ABOUT ALTAPOINTE

AltaPointe Health is an extensive healthcare system providing behavioral and primary healthcare. Each year it provides more than 1 million services to 45,000 patients across Alabama. A national leader in behavioral health for more than 60 years, AltaPointe expanded its service array in 2018 to include primary care. With an even greater focus on the patient's whole health, it operates Accordia Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center with six clinic sites. Rounding out the continuum, AltaPointe operates two psychiatric hospitals serving children and adults, one Behavioral Health Crisis Center, and 22 outpatient behavioral healthcare clinics. Its team of 28 physicians and 16 physician extenders renders the medical care services throughout the organization and serves as the administration and faculty for the University of South Alabama, College of Medicine-Department of Psychiatry.

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SOURCE AltaPointe Health Systems