What is the Average Time People Spend on Their Screen?

Screens seem to have taken over our lives. We take a break from working on our laptops and stare at our phones for a bit. Then we move on to our bigger screen, the TV, for a relaxing evening.

Do you spend more time looking at a screen than most people? What‘s the average?

Read to find out!

What Is the Average Time People Spend on Their Screen?

The global average screen time is 6 hours and 55 minutes (for internet-related activities). Most of this time is spent looking at a mobile phone screen (3 hours and 16 minutes).

(Source: Comparitech)

Other Stats on Screen Time

Let‘s dive into other compelling statistics and find out how screen times differ among countries, what‘s the healthy amount of screen time, and much more.

An average American spends 7 hours and 11 minutes looking at a screen every day.

(Source: Comparitech)

While this number isn’t ideal, it‘s still lower than the average screen time of some other countries (e.g., Philippines (10 hours and 56 minutes), Brazil (10 hours and 8 minutes), South Africa (10 hours and 7 minutes), etc.).

Filipinos have the highest mobile screen time in the world (5 hours and 54 minutes a day).

(Source: Comparitech)

They‘re closely followed by Brazilians (5 hours and 17 minutes), Thais (5 hours and 7 minutes), and Indonesians (5 hours and 4 minutes).

The average mobile screen time in the US is 3.18 hours.

(Source: Comparitech)

This is slightly higher than the average mobile screen time in Canada, which amounts to 2 hours and 42 minutes a day.

Most iPhone users spend 39 hours and 54 minutes on their phones per week.

(Source: NotebookCheck)

According to analytics from August 2021, the average iPhone screen time is almost as long as a workweek. Expectedly, most users (78%) underestimated how much time they spent on their phones.

According to experts, recommended screen time for adults (outside work) should be under 2 hours a day.

Spending more time in front of the screen can cause eye strain, headache, insomnia, back problems, etc.

(Source: Reid Health)

Consuming screen content for more than 6 hours a day can lead to depression.

(Source: Healthline)

This is why setting a screen time goal on your phone can be helpful. It can limit a particular app or your overall screen usage.

According to a 2021 survey, 51% of American children spend more than 3 hours in front of a screen (outside homework).

(Source: Statista)

About 34% of US kids had their screen time limited to 1–2 hours a day, while only 15% spent less than an hour in front of a screen.

33% of US parents were somewhat concerned about their child‘s screentime during the pandemic.

(Source: Statista)

Screen time increased in 2020 due to COVID-19, causing 23% of US parents to get very concerned about their child‘s screen time. On the other hand, only 18% stated they were very unconcerned with the situation, while 8% had no opinion.

According to a 2021 survey, Americans check their phones 96 times a day.

(Source: FOX 13)

We‘re slowly turning into screen zombies, and the fact that we check our phones 20% more than two years ago testifies to that. The good news is that 50% of Americans are doing their best to use their phones less than they currently do.

US citizens spend 29.47% of all screen time on social media.

(Source: Comparitech)

They record significantly lower figures than citizens of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who spend 40.49% and 40.9% of screen time on the internet on social media apps like Instagram or Facebook, respectively.

Wrapping Up

Getting some relaxation is essential, especially for modern people with hectic schedules. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle should be a top priority too.

So, next time you need to unwind, maybe try to put your phone away instead of browsing funny memes. Your body might thank you later.