Dictionary

screen time en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈskɹin ˌtʌi̯m/ (Scotland)
• /ˈskɹin ˌtaɪ̯m/ (Canada, General-American, Scotland)
• skrēn′ tīm′
• /ˈskɹiːn ˌtaɪ̯m/ (New-Zealand, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈskɹin ˌtʌɪ̯m/ (Canada)
• /ˈskɾiːn ˌʈajm/ (India)
• /ˈskɹiːn ˌtɑe̯m/ (Australia)
• /ˈskɹin ˌtəi̯m/ (Scotland)

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The duration for which something is visible on film or television.
   • The wise old monk had little screen time compared with his buxom young disciple.
2. (countable, uncountable) The amount of time a person spends using screen-accessed technology (such as a television, a computer, a smartphone, etc.).
   • This isn't fair. It's a vacation. Dad said on vacation we can have as much screen time as we want. 2023, Sam Esmail, Rumaan Alam, Leave the World Behind, spoken by Rose:
   • And then there is the radical impact that screen time and social media have had on the younger generation, something that previous generations have never experienced. 2023 June 13, Bernie Sanders, “America is facing a mental health crisis”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • The editorial advised parents of small children to limit their kids' screen time.
   • Every single parent I know frets about “screen time”, and most are engaged in a struggle with a toddler over how much iPad is allowed. 2018 March 4, Jamie Bartlett, “Will 2018 be the year of the neo-luddite?”, in The Guardian:
   • Screen time for babies and toddlers under the age of two has been linked with long-term negative effects on health and quality of life and should be avoided, according to a landmark study. 2026 June 27, Sally Weale, “Screen time can damage under-twos’ development, landmark study suggests”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • In many families, children are getting more screen time than the parents think is good for them, although it's probably less than the children want. 2016, Noël Janis-Norton, Calmer Easier Happier Screen Time, Hachette UK, →ISBN:
   • When [Jean] Twenge started speaking out about screen time and social media, she was wary of recommending specific age restrictions to parents — something many experts, aside from her and [Jonathan] Haidt — remain loath to do. 2025 September 6, Catherine Pearson, “She Started the Debate About Kids and Phones. Now She Wants to End It.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Sep 2025:

Forms

Translations (13)

sv skärmtid (time spent using a screen) · ka საეკრანო დრო (duration something is visible) · hu képernyőidő (duration something is visible) · pl czas spędzony przed ekranem (time spent using a screen) · fi ruutuaika (time spent using a screen) · hu képernyőidő (time spent using a screen) · fi ruutuaika (duration something is visible) · cmn 出場時間 /出场时间 (duration something is visible) · de Dauer des Auftritts (duration something is visible) · cmn 看屏幕的時間 /看屏幕的时间 (time spent using a screen) · fr temps d'écran (time spent using a screen) · de Bildschirmzeit (time spent using a screen) · pl czas ekranowy (duration something is visible)

wikidata: Q28130149