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.
Leaning In To ‘Good Screen Time’ While robots shouldn't be teaching kids, parents are right to worry about screen time. Mackenzie Price, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Try going to bed and waking up around the same time each day, limiting screen time before bed, and keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Lindsey Desoto, Health, 30 June 2026 Short dramas are already designed to give the leads more screen time. Lavender Au, The Dial, 30 June 2026 Under the policy approved June 23, kids in preschool and first grade within the nation’s second-largest school district won’t have instructional screen time at all. CNN Money, 29 June 2026 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 5 Jul. 2026.

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