Definition
The total amount of time a person spends looking at screens—phones, tablets, computers, TVs—measured in hours and minutes per day. Screen time has become a metric tracked by devices to raise awareness of digital consumption habits.
Example Usage
My Apple Watch told me I spent 6 hours of screen time today, mostly on TikTok.
Origin
Simple compound of 'screen' and 'time'; became a household term around 2015–2018 as phones began offering usage tracking and parental controls.
Fun Fact
Most smartphones now include built-in screen time trackers (Apple's 'Screen Time,' Android's 'Digital Wellbeing') designed to help users monitor and reduce their device dependency.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
Related Terms
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See “screen time” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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