The surgeon general just released 5 suggestions for parenting in its recent advisory on screen time use.
Are they any good?
In today’s newsletter:
Screen time was just elevated to a level of national concern
My take on the Surgeon General’s 5D’s of Healthy Screen Time
Ever been to Buc-ees? Thoughts?
Let’s dive in.
Surgeon General Releases Warning on Screens
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use.
There’s a lot in there—43 pages to be precise—but to sum it up:
Kids' screen use is now considered a public health concern. Teens average 4+ hours daily with older teens trending towards 8 hours. The associated harms span four domains: cognitive development, physical health, education, and mental health.
The design is part of the problem. Infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic feeds, and gamblification are named as engagement mechanisms that drive compulsive use.
The suggested response framework is the "5 Ds": Discuss, Do, Delay, Divert, and Disconnect with calls to action for families, schools, providers, policymakers, and tech companies. (I’ll share my take on the 5 D’s below)
It’s worth noting this advisory was not based on new research, but is more of a heavy summary of existing reports.
The advisory has seen a range of responses (we Americans have developed a knack for politicizing things), but steering clear of politics, I want to zoom out and share what encourages me about it:
The issue of excessive screen time's impact on youth is getting highlighted at the highest possible health level.
That’s a big deal.
And to be clear, that’s not new. This issue has been on the government’s radar for years:
“Protecting Youth Mental Health” in 2021
"Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" in 2023
"Social Media and Youth Mental Health" in 2023
"Parents Under Pressure" in 2024
This problem is getting attention. Here’s hoping the old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” rings true.
Dissecting the 5 D’s Framework
Most of the Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use was existing research in a new document.
But what is new is its 5D's of Healthy Screen Use in Children Framework which I think are great, but I want to provide some context to each one and my take.
Discuss and Do. I'm pairing these on purpose. I could rant on this all day, but the difficulty level of this for ourselves should give us all the empathy in the world for our kids. We shouldn’t impose rules on them we aren’t willing to follow ourselves. Screens are just as harmful for us as adults.
Delay. The report just says delay as "long as possible". I think they had opportunity to give more clear age guidance but as a governmental body I understand why they didn't. What we’ve learned and landed on is:
Smart phone age: 16.
Parent designed phone or watch potentially earlier at 13 if communication and location are wanted. (Those are the most commonly cited parent desires).
Social media age: 16.
Divert. This was the most interesting one for me. A key recommendation underneath this one was, “Prioritize completion of desirable activities first, such as chores, homework, music, or sports before screen use." That seems like basic parenting, but this strategy has a weakness. It often just pushes the screen time later in the evening and closer to bed time. More effective strategies for parents that I have seen are no screen time on school nights or at minimum no screen time 90 minutes before scheduled bed time (which means you need a scheduled bed time, even as teens and adults).
Disconnect. The report recommends a digital detox... which is a very trending concept. They are great, but we at Selfctrl recommend taking it a step further, and doing a weekly digital “sabbath” routine instead. A regular discipline that is built into your family routine.
Overall, I think these action steps are great. My only real hangup was the language around “divert” feeling more like a distraction than real transformation.
My suggestion: refocus your family on the things you truly value.
For instance, if you’re a person of faith, that means situating how you parent phones in a conversation around God’s will for life. Is our current phone use making us people of faith, hope, and love?
For all families, it means taking a look at how our phones align with our values.
In your conversations with your kids, do you highlight how life is meant to be lived? Life is meant to be more than quick dopamine hits and long doomscrolls. More than constant comparison and anxiety.
A life focused only on wants and desires with our free time will leave us desperately hungry for more and more to make us happy. This is exactly what phones can form in us.
That’s the reason we’re switching the priorities for our families.
As you parent phones, learn to recognize what your kids are seeking as they grab phones and tablets, and present healthy alternatives.
Switch the focus to what matters.
Let’s keep the screen time conversation going. 🗣️
I’m speaking at the Region One Prevention Conference in a couple of weeks! I’d love to see you there.
📍 Fayetteville Public Library
📆 Monday June 8
🕛 12pm - 2pm
Region One Prevention is a group that brings law enforcement, parents, and community leaders together to fight against substance abuse and for better futures in NWA.
I’ll be leading a conversation on how video game addiction contributes to relapse in other areas of life.
Let’s connect! No screens necessary.
We recently took a trip to Dallas. Our son got a cowboy hat. Buc-ee's was visited. Beaver nuggets were consumed.
Buc-ee's: overrated or worth the hype?
— Ian