An advisory panel associated with the U.S. Surgeon General’s office on May 20 issued a 42-page report titled, U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use. The Surgeon General position has been vacant since January this year, but the office functioning is on target in this case.
The report warns that screen use, especially among children under 18 years of age, has been linked to multiple problems. The long list includes: decreased academic functioning, diminished physical activity, poorer sleep, impaired in-person relationships, harmed cognitive and emotional development, attention disorders, diminished language skills, eating disorders, violent behavior, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, body image concerns, family conflicts, aggression, poor peer relationships, dangerous viral challenges, compulsive or addictive behavior from gaming to gambling, exposure to cyber-bullying and online predators, and has been linked to increased self-harm, risky behavior, and suicidal thoughts. In the past these advisories from the Surgeon General have been generally reserved for “an urgent public health issue” which requires “the nation’s immediate awareness and action.”
