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

Ahead of the hearing, the two largest teachers unions, the American Library Association and 14 education trade groups wrote a letter defending education technology and urging federal lawmakers not to restrict students’ access or screen time. —Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026

But in a competitive lead actress category, Erivo simply didn’t have the screen time to convince voters to give her an encore nomination. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

The group cautions against viewing children's digital use solely through individual behavior and imposing screen time limits. —Meg Oliver, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Analog January is having a moment as many people try to reduce their screen time and explore offline hobbies and interests instead. —Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 21 Jan. 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