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 timeDebra Kent

Examples of screen time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The organization Common Sense Media says that not all screen time is created equal and classifies screen time into passive, interaction, communication and content creation. Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ages 18 to 24 months be introduced to screen time on a very limited basis, and no more than an hour a day for ages 2 to 5. Anna Earl, Parents, 26 Mar. 2025 The combination of sitting excessively and getting too much evening screen time contributes to weight gain.19 10. Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 24 Mar. 2025 Among parents of children ages five to eight, 30 percent use software to limit screen time, and 56 percent use software to limit content. Jacqueline Nesi, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for screen time

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of screen time was in 1921

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Cite this Entry

“Screen time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screen%20time. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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