screen time

noun

1

: the amount of time someone or something appears on screen in a movie or television show

… the widespread practice of product placement (in which companies buy screen time for their brands) …

—Celia Wren

Peck's role is only a cameo—23 minutes of screen time scattered through six and a half hours of edited film …

—John Skow

2

: time spent watching television, playing a video game, or using an electronic device with a screen (such as a smartphone or tablet)

Concerns about children spending too much time on digital devices—'screen time'—and becoming overdependent on these devices are very real for many teachers and parents.

—Nicky Hockly

If yours is like most American families with kids under age 5, your child probably watches between three and four hours of television a day. That's a lot of screen time …

—Debra Kent

Examples of screen time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For ages 2 to 5, the AAP supports limiting screen time to one hour per day of high-quality, educational programming that ideally is watched along with a caregiver. — Elizabeth Dowdell, Fortune, 15 July 2026

That the paper’s release coincides with summer vacation and, thus, a likely rise in screen time, is also significant. — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026

Ever since Steve Jobs famously set limits on his children’s screen time, Apple has led the pack in child-safety precautions. — Edward Mendelson, PC Magazine, 13 July 2026

Although states and districts are searching for ways to limit screen time, few — if any — are looking to operate without the internet altogether. — Sequoia Carrillo, NPR, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for screen time

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime