Screen Time Statistics
A comprehensive, sourced collection of screen time data — daily averages, country rankings, generational differences, device breakdowns, app categories, health effects, and year-over-year trends.
6h 40m
Average daily screen time worldwide in 2025
Source: DemandSage 2026
Last updated: 2026-02-01
Global Screen Time Overview
The average person now spends nearly seven hours a day looking at screens — almost 44% of waking hours.
6h 40m
Average daily screen time worldwide — nearly seven hours across all devices.
Source: DemandSage 2026
6h 58m
Peak average daily screen time recorded in Q3 2021 during the pandemic.
Source: Backlinko 2026
3h 50m
Average daily mobile screen time globally — over half of total screen time.
Source: DemandSage 2026
2h 21m
Average daily time spent on social media globally.
Source: DataReportal 2025
49 days
Total screen time per year for the average person — roughly 2,430 hours annually.
Source: Backlinko 2026
53%
Share of total screen time spent on smartphones globally.
Source: DemandSage 2026
Average Daily Screen Time Over Time (Hours)
Global screen time spiked during the pandemic, peaked in 2021, and has stabilised at levels well above pre-2020 norms.
Screen Time by Country
Daily screen time varies dramatically by country — from under five hours in Japan to over nine hours in South Africa.
9h 24m
South Africa leads the world in daily screen time.
Source: Comparitech 2025
9h 13m
Brazil ranks second globally for daily screen time.
Source: Comparitech 2025
8h 52m
The Philippines ranks third — Filipinos are also the top mobile-only users.
Source: Comparitech 2025
7h 02m
Average daily screen time for adults in the United States.
Source: Backlinko 2026
6h 11m
Average daily screen time in the United Kingdom.
Source: DemandSage 2026
4h 09m
Japan has the lowest average daily screen time of any country surveyed.
Source: DemandSage 2026
Daily Screen Time by Country (Hours)
Countries in the Global South tend to have the highest screen time, while East Asian countries report the lowest.
Screen Time by Age Group & Generation
Gen Z leads all generations in screen time, spending over nine hours a day — nearly double that of Baby Boomers.
9h+
Gen Z (ages 13–28) average daily screen time — the highest of any generation.
Source: DemandSage 2026
6h 42m
Millennials (ages 29–44) average daily screen time.
Source: Awisee 2025
5h 17m
Gen X (ages 45–60) average daily screen time.
Source: DemandSage 2026
4h+
Baby Boomers (ages 61+) average daily screen time — the lowest of any generation.
Source: DemandSage 2026
6h 27m
Gen Z average daily smartphone-only usage — far exceeding older cohorts.
Source: Backlinko 2026
50.4%
US teenagers (ages 12–17) who spend 4+ hours per day on screens.
Source: CDC 2025
Average Daily Screen Time by Generation (Hours)
Screen Time by Device Type
Smartphones account for the majority of screen time, but connected TVs are a close second for total daily hours.
4h 37m
Average global daily mobile screen time — phones dominate all other devices.
Source: Priori Data 2025
3h 20m
Average daily time spent watching TV and streaming content.
Source: Reviews.org 2025
~2h
Average daily time spent on laptop and desktop computers.
Source: Reviews.org 2025
~1h
Average daily time spent on tablets and gaming consoles each.
Source: Reviews.org 2025
70%
Share of US digital media time spent on smartphones.
Source: DemandSage 2026
63.3%
Global web traffic coming from mobile devices as of mid-2025.
Source: Research.com 2026
Share of Daily Screen Time by Device
Smartphones dominate screen time, followed by TV/streaming and computers.
Mobile Screen Time Leaders
The Philippines leads the world in smartphone screen time, followed by Brazil and South Africa.
5h 23m
Philippines — the world leader in daily mobile screen time.
Source: Comparitech 2025
5h 17m
Brazil — second-highest daily mobile screen time globally.
Source: Comparitech 2025
5h 13m
South Africa — third-highest mobile screen time, matching its overall screen time lead.
Source: Comparitech 2025
5h 16m
Average daily smartphone usage in the US — up 14% from 4h 37m in 2024.
Source: Harmony Hit 2025
1h 55m
Japan — the lowest reported daily mobile screen time in any surveyed country.
Source: Comparitech 2025
Screen Time by App Category
Social media and communication apps consume the largest share of screen time, followed by video streaming and gaming.
2h 41m
Average daily time spent on social media globally in 2025 — up from 2h 35m in 2024.
Source: SQ Magazine 2025
3h 09m
Average daily time spent watching streaming video content.
Source: Reviews.org 2025
1h 12m
Average daily time spent gaming on consoles — relatively stable year-over-year.
Source: Reviews.org 2025
92%
Social media screen time that occurs on mobile devices.
Source: SQ Magazine 2025
65%
Total mobile screen time projected to be spent on social and messaging apps combined.
Source: Backlinko 2026
50%+
Online video's share of all daily content consumption — the dominant category.
Source: Backlinko 2026
Screen Time Comparison by Country
Total daily screen time, mobile screen time, and social media time across the top and bottom countries.
| Metric | South Africa | Brazil | Philippines | USA | UK | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Screen Time | 9h 24m | 9h 13m | 8h 52m | 7h 02m | 6h 11m | 4h 09m |
| Mobile Screen Time | 5h 13m | 5h 17m | 5h 23m | 5h 16m | 3h 45m | 1h 55m |
| Social Media Time | 3h 36m | 3h 49m | 3h 38m | 2h 16m | 1h 49m | 0h 51m |
Children & Teenager Screen Time
Kids are logging more than double the screen time their parents consider ideal, with most now owning a personal device before age three.
2h 30m
Average daily screen time for children ages 0–8 in the US.
Source: Lurie Children's 2025
7.7h
Peak daily screen time for US teenagers during pandemic lockdowns — up from 3.8h pre-pandemic.
Source: Kaiser Permanente 2025
81%
Children under 13 who now have their own personal device.
Source: Lurie Children's 2025
59%
Children who began using screens by age three.
Source: Lurie Children's 2025
21h/wk
Average weekly screen time for kids — more than double the 9 hours parents consider ideal.
Source: Lurie Children's 2025
< 1h
WHO recommended daily screen time limit for children ages 2–4 (zero for under 2).
Source: WHO 2025
54%
Parents who have felt their child is addicted to screens.
Source: Pew Research 2025
49%
Parents who rely on screen time every day to help manage parenting responsibilities.
Source: Pew Research 2025
70%
Adolescents spending 5+ hours daily on digital devices are 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those under one hour.
Excessive screen time is associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and lower physical activity in teens.
Source: CDC 2025
Screen Time & Health Impact
Growing research links excessive screen time to mental health issues, sleep disruption, and reduced physical activity — especially among younger users.
4h+
Daily screen time threshold associated with higher risk of anxiety, depression, and ADHD in children.
Source: CDC 2025
50.4%
US teenagers (12–17) who spend 4+ hours per day on screens connected to the internet.
Source: CDC 2025
1.75h
Average increase in children's daily screen time during the first pandemic lockdown period.
Source: PMC 2025
3 weeks
Screen time reduction period shown to produce measurable improvements in depressive symptoms, stress, and sleep quality.
Source: PMC 2025
62%
Children and teens' screen time spent on social media (31%) and entertainment (31%) combined.
Source: Mobicip 2025
Screen Time Milestones
iPhone launches — mobile screen time begins its climb.
Smartphone adoption passes 50% in the US.
~4h avg daily screen time
TikTok (Douyin) launches in China, accelerating short-form video consumption.
Pre-pandemic screen time averages about 6 hours per day globally.
6h 00m avg
COVID-19 lockdowns cause screen time to surge worldwide.
6h 36m avg
Screen time peaks at nearly 7 hours per day as remote work and streaming persist.
6h 58m avg (peak)
Screen time stabilises but remains well above pre-pandemic levels.
6h 37m avg
Average daily screen time settles around 6h 40m — mobile accounts for 53% of total.
6h 40m avg
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources
- DemandSage — Average Screen Time Statistics 2026
- Backlinko — Revealing Average Screen Time Statistics for 2026
- Comparitech — Screen Time Statistics: Average Screen Time by Country
- DataReportal — Global Social Media Statistics
- Priori Data — Average Screen Time Statistics For 2025
- Awisee — Average Screen Time Statistics In 2025
- Reviews.org — Screen Time and Internet Usage Statistics 2025
- SQ Magazine — Social Media Screen Time Statistics 2025
- Research.com — Mobile vs Desktop Usage Statistics 2026
- Harmony Hit — Phone Screen Time Addiction & Usage Statistics
- CDC — Associations Between Screen Time Use and Health Outcomes Among US Teenagers
- CDC — Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers
- PMC — Trends in Screen Time Use Among Children During COVID-19 Pandemic
- PMC — Smartphone Screen Time Reduction Improves Mental Health
- Lurie Children's — Screen Time Statistics Shaping Parenting in 2025
- Pew Research Center — How Parents Manage Screen Time for Kids
- Kaiser Permanente — Children's Pandemic Screen Time Rose Nearly 2 Hours Per Day
- Mobicip — Screen Time Trends by Age (July 2025 Report)
- WHO — Physical Activity Fact Sheet
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Daily Social Media Screen Time Trend (Minutes)
Time spent on social media has risen steadily, now exceeding 2 hours 40 minutes per day worldwide.