Gary Brecka

You know, they're missing that real human connection because, you know, we've developed a dependency in the sense that we're connected through our screens and our phones and our laptops and our iPads.

And that's actually not true.

spending so much time on screens but what is coming through those screens um and what you know what are they learning what are the threats um you know how is this helping or hurting the developmental cycle of their brains and i know this is a big passion project of yours and i wonder if you might just talk about what is the office of the surgeon general doing you know

With respect to screen times.

Yeah, I'm really excited to talk about it because I think that, you know, hardly a parent in America today would say, I have no concerns at all about what my child is consuming on social media.

or the amount of time that they're spending on their phones, or what they're communicating, what's being communicated to them.

And there's so many stories about the scary issues around predators, but even without the direct dangerous risks of social media, you're talking about the amount of time they're spending on screens and neurodevelopmental issues.

So I highly... You seem to be a big willing participant in tech companies.

But...

Look, I mean, you and I grew up in an era with no cell phones and we did just fine.

And when there are emergencies, parents can get a hold of the school.

School can get a hold of a parent.

You don't need to constantly be in communication.

I mean, maybe there's some rare exceptions.

Someone has a Holter monitor or something where they actually need to be connected to a phone.

But I can't imagine what my high school and collegiate years would have been like if I had this screen constantly pulling my attention away.

Because, you know, when you're learning and you're trying to take in information, you're constantly being distracted by whatever you're doom scrolling about.

But what surprised you in your findings?

Was there anything that surprised you in the evidence or your findings?

Well, I'm glad you asked.