The biggest habit most of us have
For many people, looking at screens is now the largest single activity of the waking day after work, and for some it is larger than work. Four hours a day on a phone is a quarter of the hours you are awake. Spread over the years since you got your first phone, it may already add up to several years of continuous screen time. The phone above shows your day as a ring, with sleep, screen time and the rest of your waking hours; the strip beside it shows the same thing across your life.
Set the hours to your real figure from your phone’s screen time report, the age you started, and the age you want to add up to. Try lowering the hours to see what you would get back.
How we calculate it
We multiply your daily hours by 365.25 to get a yearly total, then by the years from your starting age to today for the time so far, and from today to the age you choose for the time ahead. Years of screen time are continuous 24-hour years. The share of waking life assumes about eight hours of sleep a night, leaving 16 waking hours.
| Hours a day | Share of waking day | Per year | Over 50 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 13% | 30 days | 4.2 years |
| 4 | 25% | 61 days | 8.3 years |
| 6 | 38% | 91 days | 12.5 years |
| 8 | 50% | 122 days | 16.7 years |
Worked example. Someone born on 12 April 1990 who has used screens for 4 hours a day since age 12 had spent about 4.1 years of continuous time on screens by 30 October 2026. Carrying on to 80 would add another 7.2 years, a total of 11.3 years.
Taking some back
Small changes have large effects here. Removing one app from your home screen, charging your phone outside the bedroom or setting a daily limit can trim an hour a day, which over 40 years gives back almost 1.7 years. Whether you spend it on sleep, people or a new skill is up to you.
Questions people ask
How much screen time do people have?
Internet users worldwide spend about 6 hours and 40 minutes a day online across all devices, according to DataReportal’s Digital 2024 report. Phone use alone is typically around three and a half to four and a half hours a day.
Where do I find my real number?
On an iPhone, open Settings and then Screen Time. On Android, look for Digital Wellbeing in Settings. Both show a daily average for the past week.
What does the age I choose mean?
It is the age up to which you want to add things up, so you can see the total over any stretch of life. It is your choice, not an estimate.
Is all screen time bad?
No. Reading, learning, working and keeping in touch with people all happen on screens. The point of the total is simply to see how big it is, so you can decide whether it matches what you want.
Sources. DataReportal, Digital 2024 Global Overview Report; sleep of 8 hours assumed for waking-time shares. Calculations run in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.