Screen Time by Device

Smartphones dominate. Globally, over 53% of screen time is spent on mobile phones, with the average person using their phone about 3 h 43 m per day. By contrast, desktop/laptop use accounts for roughly one-third of screen time. For example, as of May 2025 mobile devices accounted for ~63% of worldwide web usage, versus ~36% for desktops (tablets ~2%).

In many countries the split is nearly even: in the US, users spend 3h 30m on mobile and 3h 34m on computers each day, a parity reflected in broadly similar daily totals across device types. Tablets and other devices contribute the remainder of screen time, but have far lower reach.

In short, phones are the single largest screen (often >50% of use), followed by PCs and tablets. As more video and TV moves online, internet-connected TVs add to the mix. On a daily basis, Americans average 4h 37m of TV viewing (including streaming and broadcast), plus 2h21m on smartphone apps – summing to ~8h34m of media consumption.

• Mobile (phone): ~3h 43m/day (approx. 53% of screen time)

• Desktop/PC: ~3h 35m/day (nearly equal to mobile in many markets)

• Tablet/Other: <10% of total screen time (varies by region)

• Web Traffic Share: ~62.7% of global web usage is on mobile vs 35.7% on desktop

Social Media & Apps

Social platforms soak up a huge chunk of screen time.

Today, roughly 64.7% of the world’s population (~5.31 billion people) have at least one social media profile. The average user spends ~18h 41m per week on social networks – that’s about 2h 40m per day.

This includes browsing feeds, messaging, and watching videos on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Each month the typical user visits about 6–7 different social apps. Messaging apps are similarly massive: WhatsApp (approx. 3 billion users), WeChat (~1.4 billion), and Facebook Messenger (~0.95 billion) are among the largest worldwide.

• 18h 41m/week – Time spent on social media per active user (~2h 40m/day)

• 64.7% of population – People with at least one social media account (~5.31 billion identities)

• Facebook/YouTube/Instagram: Among the top platforms; YouTube alone accounts for ~9.9% of all video streaming time

• Messaging: WhatsApp ~3B MAUs, WeChat ~1.38B, Messenger ~0.95B (2025 est.)

Streaming & Gaming

Online video streaming is now a daily habit for most. Industry reports note ~76% of people stream TV/videos online every day.

On average, viewers spend about 1h 22m per day watching streaming content. In terms of total viewing, streaming now makes up 40.3% of all TV usage, meaning nearly half of video time is via Netflix, YouTube, etc. Netflix remains the most-subscribed global service (approx. 278 million subs), while YouTube leads as the top streaming platform by watch time (9.9% share).

• 76% – Share of people streaming online daily

• 1h 22m/day – Avg.. time spent streaming per person

• 40.3% – Portion of total TV viewing done via streaming services

• $108.5B – Estimated size of global video streaming market (2025)

Gaming is another major screen activity. An estimated 3.32 billion people play video games worldwide (approx. 42% of the global population).

That number has grown by over 60% in the past decade. The global games industry is massive, valued at around $522 billion in 2024 and projected to exceed $691 billion by 2029. While detailed global play-time stats are mixed, gaming is a multi-hour daily habit for many. In the US, gamers average ~12.8 hours per week on all platforms.

• 3.32B gamers – Worldwide active video game players (2024)

• $522B – 2024 global video games industry value

• Esports: ~3,430 active tournament players in the US; Asia is home to ~1.5 billion gamers

Screen Time by Age & Demographics

Screen use varies strongly by age. Children and teens are the heaviest users. Even infants are exposed to screens: about 49% of 0–2-year-olds have used a smartphone, and 74% of their parents report TV viewing by that age.

Usage climbs rapidly: by ages 3–4, ~93% watch TV and ~62% use smartphones. Gen Z (teens/young adults) average around 9 hours per day on screens, roughly 2 hours more than older adults or the general population. (For perspective, a recent survey found U.S. 13–18 year-olds spend ~8.5h/day on screens for non-school activities.)

Adults also spend many hours. Young adults (25–34) average ~7h/day, while usage falls in older groups. For example, those aged 55–64 average only about 5h 15m per day. In the workplace, average office workers report ~6.5h/day looking at screens – a 25% jump since 2020. Gender gaps are small: men and women spend similar totals (e.g., 16–24 yr: approx. 7h 30m for both).

• Kids (0–4): ~74% of toddlers watch TV; 49% use smartphones by age 2. By age 4, >90% watch TV and >60% use phones

• Gen Z (~18–24): ~9h/day of screen time (approx. 2h above average)

• Teens: US tweens average ~5.5h/day (leisure), teens ~8.5h (non-school)

• Adults (25–54): ~6–7h/day, tapering off with age. Ages 35–44 about 6h30m, 45–54 ~6h

• Seniors (55–64): ~5 h 15 m/day

Regional Differences

Screen time also varies by country and culture. Several surveys show that South Africa leads the world at roughly 9–10 hours of screen time per day. Brazil, the Philippines and Argentina are also very high (~9–10h). In contrast, many European nations average closer to 6–7h/day.

For example, Portugal’s older population still spends ~7 hours and 30 minutes online. Americans average ~7h/day, only slightly above the world mean.

• South Africa: ~9h 24m/day (highest)

• Brazil: ~10h 19m/day (internet use)

• Philippines: ~10h 27m/day (though some reports note ~9h14m in 2022)

• USA: ~7h 03m/day

• Europe: Generally 6–7h/day (Portugal ~7h 30 mins; UK about 5–6h)

Geography of social media is similar: Asia-Pacific leads in time per user, but even in Northern America about 64% are active on social apps.

Internet adoption is highest in Europe/NA (>90%), but once online, people everywhere log multi-hour screen days.

Productivity & Health Impacts

While screen time can boost connectivity, it also strains productivity and health. Surveys find many users struggle with usage: only about 45% of people feel their screen use is productive, and 41% admit it’s hard to limit. Among parents, 21% feel guilty about their children’s screen time. In workplaces, screen overuse is pervasive.

A recent vision-health survey reports that U.S. workers average 97 hours of screen time per week (~14h/day). Importantly, 68% of employees experience digital eye strain (dry eyes, headaches, blurred vision), and 59% say it impairs their productivity.

• 6.5h/day: Average screen time for office workers (up 25% since 2020)

• <50% productive: Less than half of screen use is perceived as productive

• 41%: Portion of adults who find managing their screen time challenging

• 21%: Parents feeling guilty about kids’ screen usage

• 68% – Employees with digital eye strain; 59% say it hurts work performance

• 97h/week – Average work-related screen time for employees

Overuse has physical and psychological downsides. Excessive screen exposure is linked to sleep disruption (blue light delays melatonin) and sedentary behavior. Studies show high screen use correlates with higher obesity rates and even insulin resistance in children.

For young children, watching >2h/day is associated with social and attention problems. Conversely, research suggests limiting social media to ~30 minutes per day significantly improves well-being (lower depression/anxiety).

Notably, a UCSF study found that for 9–to 10-year-old children, each extra hour of recreational screen time raised the risk of later depression and anxiety symptoms.

• Sleep disruption: Evening screen use (blue light) can delay sleep onset

• Obesity & Metabolic: Screen time in kids links to higher obesity and diabetes risk

• Mental health: More screen use is tied to more depression/anxiety in youth

• Well-being: Limiting social media to ≤30m/day has been linked to reduced depression and better mood

• Learning: Overall grades aren’t strongly affected by average screen time, but extremely high use can impede language development in young children.