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

Other research suggests that incorporating physical exercise to break long screen sessions can be beneficial with extended screen time. —George Toh, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

These are the top three: reduce notifications, enable screen time tracking, and put your phone away while sleeping. —Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 June 2025

Collaborate on screen time limits that are age-appropriate Work together as a family to create a digital plan that outlines how much time your child spends online per day. —Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 26 June 2025

Tasked with more screen time than anyone (or anything) in this film needs, Williams reprises her role as Gemma. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 June 2025

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