Dear HHS, 

Early childhood development is a key to the future health of our nation.

Particularly in the first 5 years of life, children’s long-term social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development can be impacted by stress, socioeconomic status, and access to education programs and resources. (https://bit.ly/4wiBOeI).  

Screen time is another important factor.

Excessive screen time is rising among children. For example, over 70% of Latino parents report that social media use is high among their children ages 10-18, who use screens “several hours a day” or “almost constantly.” (https://bit.ly/4ga5DcJ) 

Prolonged screen time can lead to trouble sleeping, mood changes, and alterations to the brain, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. (https://bit.ly/3U2qFyx)

In addition, excessive screen time in children is linked to a higher risk for heart-related complications, including heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. (https://bit.ly/42oalvN)

I applaud HHS leaders for recommending further screen time limitations as part of Healthy People 2030.

This includes recommendations to increase the proportion of children ages 2-5 who get no more than 1 hour of screen time a day and increase the proportion of parents who follow the standard of limiting screen time for children ages 6-17.

Thank you for caring about our children, 

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, Director, Salud America!