screen time

American  

[skreen tahym] / ˈskrin ˈtaɪm /

Or screentime

noun

• screen times
  plural

1. the amount of time devoted to a particular actor, topic, plot line, etc., in a film or TV show.

   The female characters got less screen time than the male characters in all the film festival nominations.

2. Digital Technology. the amount of time a person spends watching or interacting with content on the screen of a computer, phone, TV, gaming console, etc..

   What's the maximum amount of screen time recommended for children under two?

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• screen times
  plural

Etymology

Origin of screen time

First recorded in 1915–20, and in 1990–95 screen time for def. 2

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

screen time

Curry’s performance is even more impressive given his limited screen time — his scattered appearances as Pennywise total less than 20 minutes over a three-hour running time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The researchers emphasize that the findings show associations rather than proving that screen time or particular types of physical activity directly cause changes in cognitive performance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

The 27-year-old tracks his bike rides, screen time, calendar events, social-media metrics and sleep quality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Are you a parent who is concerned about screen time?

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Her observation came at a time when media use in general was exploding among children, up to an average of around ten hours a day of screen time, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel