Screen time has become an inseparable part of modern life. For many of us, hours spent looking at phones, computers, and TVs blend seamlessly into the rhythm of the day — often without realizing just how much time slips away in front of screens.
Global screen time keeps rising 📈
Recent data paints a clear picture. In 2025, the average person spends about 6 hours and 40 minutes per day looking at a screen — a 7.9% increase since 2013, equal to more than 30 extra minutes daily.
In the United States, that figure climbs to 7 hours and 3 minutes, while South Africans spend a staggering 9 hours and 24 minutes per day on screens. Even the youngest generations are part of this trend — nearly half (49%) of children aged 0–2 already interact with smartphones.
Gen Z leads globally, averaging 9 hours per day online. Altogether, that amounts to an estimated 5 billion days spent on screens every single day across the world’s internet users.
How we use our phones 🤔
Smartphones are now the primary gateway to the internet. The time spent browsing the web on mobile has grown from 32 minutes a day in 2011 to nearly 4 hours (3h 50m) in 2023.
On average, people spend 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phones each day — that’s over one full day per week, or 70 days per year. Surprisingly, smartphone use tends to be higher on weekdays than on weekends.
We check our phones an average of 58 times daily, and more than half of those checks — around 30 per day — happen during work hours. What’s more, half of all screen sessions start within 3 minutes of the previous one, showing how quickly checking our phones becomes an automatic habit.
Productivity and mental health 🤯
Despite high usage, less than half of our screen time is considered productive. About 41% of adults admit they struggle to manage their screen habits, and 21% feel guilty about how much time their children spend on devices.
Excessive screen time is linked to issues like sleep disruption, obesity, insulin resistance, delayed learning, and poorer mental health. On the other hand, research shows that reducing social media use to 30 minutes a day can significantly improve well-being and mood.
The rise of doomscrolling 📱
One of the more concerning trends is doomscrolling — the compulsive habit of consuming negative news or social media content. Around 31% of U.S. adults and 53% of Gen Z say they regularly doomscroll. This constant exposure to distressing content is strongly associated with higher stress, anxiety, and sleep problems, creating a cycle that keeps people glued to their screens.
What the future looks like?
The global mobile industry, valued at over $1 trillion, continues to grow. Smartphone subscriptions have increased from 3.67 billion in 2016 to 6.57 billion in 2022, and are projected to reach 7.69 billion by 2027 — nearly matching the world’s population.
With so many connected devices and the digital world woven into nearly every part of life, it’s no surprise that our collective screen time keeps climbing. The key challenge now is learning how to use technology intentionally — not compulsively.
💡 Want to take control of your screen time?
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