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

My instinct through the first third of the season is that this is an example of a narrative improved by expanding the screen time. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024

When the first season was released in July, many dedicated track and field fans criticized the lack of screen time from other dominant athletes such as Letsile Tebogo and Julien Alfred. —Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

The ability to customize a sleep and wake-up routine ahead of time allows users to cut down on screen time before bed, something that experts agree is damaging to a healthy night's sleep. —Mason Leib, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2024

California Too much screen time harms children, experts agree. —Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1