Sept. 1 (UPI) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encouraged families to reduce screen time for their children during a symposium Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
The event, called the Live Real Life Symposium, was held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Building and brought together “leaders from technology, medicine, research, education, government, and advocacy groups to examine the harms of screen use in children and discuss actionable approaches to supporting healthier childhood development,” a press release from HHS said.
The symposium also introduced The Magic Tablet, a children’s book released by HHS meant to communicate the Live Real Life principles in a children’s book format.
“Our children get one childhood, and we cannot allow screens to replace the real-world experiences they need to grow and thrive,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “Through the Office of the Surgeon General’s ‘Live Real Life initiative,’ we are giving families practical tools to put technology in its proper place and get children back to playing, exploring, connecting and experiencing the world around them.”
The event was meant to build on the Surgeon General’s Warning on the Harms of Screen Use issued earlier this year, which outlines how factors such as age, content, design, purpose and duration influence when screen engagement may be beneficial and when it’s harmful.
“The well-being of children is not just important today, but must be an ongoing priority for the public health communities,” said Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, director of national health communications for the Office of the Surgeon General and principal deputy assistant secretary for health. “Technology has a place in our lives, but it should never come at the expense of our children’s health.
