Average Screen Time For Adults Per Day In 2025

With work, social life, and entertainment now all tied to digital devices, the average screen time for adults has never been higher. From smartphones to laptops and streaming platforms, many of us spend more waking hours in front of screens than we’d like to admit. But what does the data actually say about daily usage? And at what point does screen time stop being healthy and start affecting our mental well-being?

This guide breaks down the latest numbers, explains how screen time impacts health, and offers simple strategies to create a healthier digital balance.

The Latest Average Screen Time For Adults In 2025

In 2025, the average screen time for adults is estimated at 6 hours and 40 minutes per day, with the United States’ screen time report slightly higher at 7 hours and 3 minutes daily, a figure that has steadily risen over the past decade. 

This daily total includes time spent working on computers, scrolling through phones, watching television, and using tablets. In 2015, adults averaged closer to 4–5 hours a day; the extra two hours highlight how digital tools have become deeply woven into both professional and personal routines.

The increase isn’t uniform across all age groups. In a 2025 report from DemandStage, adults aged 16 to 34 spend an average of over 7 hours per day on screens, while those 55 and older average closer to 5 hours. Younger adults, particularly those in their twenties and early thirties, tend to rack up more mobile and social media usage, while older adults lean heavily on television. 

The trend also reflects broader lifestyle shifts—remote work, streaming culture, and social media growth have all contributed to higher averages. Understanding these patterns helps distinguish between necessary screen use for productivity and excess screen time that may affect health.

Breakdown By Device And Age Group

Here’s a closer look at how adults spend their time across devices in 2025:

1. Screen Time By Age Group 

2. Screen Time By Device 

This breakdown highlights that while smartphones and computers dominate daily life, traditional TV still plays a major role, especially for older adults. Tablets and other devices add smaller but meaningful contributions to total screen exposure.

Health Impacts of Excessive Screen Time: Is This Too Much?

Spending more than 6–7 hours daily on screens may seem like a modern norm, but mounting evidence shows it carries wide-ranging consequences for physical, mental, and even cognitive health. While moderate use is often necessary for work or connection, too much screen time for adults can quietly erode well-being in several ways:

1. Eye and Vision Strain

Extended screen exposure contributes to digital eye strain—a cluster of symptoms including dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and difficulty refocusing. The blue light emitted by screens disrupts the natural blink rate, leaving eyes less lubricated. Over the years, frequent strain may worsen age-related conditions like presbyopia or cataracts.

2. Sleep Disruption

Blue light doesn’t just affect the eyes; it also interferes with the body’s circadian rhythm. Studies show that adults who use devices before bed have lower melatonin production, leading to poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration. Long-term, this can increase the risk of chronic fatigue, impaired concentration, and metabolic disorders.

3. Mental Health Effects

Excessive screen time is strongly linked to higher stress, depression, and anxiety levels. A randomized controlled trial found that adults who reduced their smartphone use to under 2 hours per day experienced significant improvements in mood and stress management within just three weeks. Passive scrolling on social media can also contribute to comparison-based anxiety and lower life satisfaction.

4. Cognitive Function Decline

Research suggests that overuse of digital media may impair executive function and working memory, especially in midlife and older adults. A 2025 scoping review found links between heavy screen use and slower processing speed, reduced attention span, and weaker cognitive flexibility. These effects are more pronounced when screen time displaces mentally stimulating activities such as reading or problem-solving.

4. Posture and Musculoskeletal Issues

Prolonged sitting with screens often leads to slouched posture, forward head tilt, and tight shoulders. Over time, this causes chronic neck, back, and joint pain. Tech neck and repetitive strain injuries in wrists and hands are also becoming common among adults who spend most of their day on laptops and phones.

6. Physical Health Risks

Sedentary behavior associated with prolonged screen use increases the likelihood of weight gain, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic issues. One review found that adults with excessive screen exposure had a higher risk of obesity and lower physical fitness levels, partly due to inactivity and disrupted sleep patterns. Combined with poor dietary choices often tied to screen use (like snacking while watching), the risks compound over time.

• The Bigger Picture

The health impacts of excessive screen time are not limited to one area; they ripple across multiple systems—eyes, body, brain, and mood. Recognizing these risks doesn’t mean eliminating technology altogether, but it emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, taking breaks, and making screen time intentional rather than automatic.

Practical Ways To Limit Screen Time

Finding the right balance with technology isn’t about quitting screens altogether — it’s about creating daily habits that give you more control over when and how you use them. Here are practical techniques to help you limit screen time for adults without feeling restricted.

1. Set Device-Free Zones

Designate certain spaces in your home where screens aren’t allowed, such as the bedroom or dining table. This creates natural breaks from devices and makes it easier to focus on rest, meals, and conversations.

Bedrooms without screens support deeper sleep cycles, while dining areas free of phones encourage more mindful eating and genuine connection with family or friends.

The same principle applies in professional settings. Taking intentional breaks from screens at work can sharpen focus, reduce eye strain, and even spark creativity by allowing the brain to reset.  In fact, research shows there are surprising benefits of screen-free time at work, from improved productivity to stronger collaboration.

2. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule

To mitigate eye strain during prolonged screen use, it's advisable to adopt the 20-20-20 rule. This means that for every 20 minutes spent in front of a screen, take a moment to look at an object at least 20 feet away for a duration of 20 seconds. Incorporating this simple practice can help prevent eye strain and also assist in maintaining proper posture.

3. Use Built-In Screen Time Tools

Most smartphones and computers now come with built-in apps like iOS Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing. These tools let you monitor your usage, set daily limits, and schedule downtime when apps are locked automatically. 

Beyond just tracking, they can help you restructure your day—turning wasted minutes of scrolling into blocks of meaningful concentration. By silencing notifications and restricting distracting apps, you free up uninterrupted time for deep work—the kind of concentrated effort that leads to higher productivity and better results.

Pairing these digital tools with structured deep work rules ensures that your limited screen time is spent on meaningful tasks instead of endless scrolling. In this way, technology not only helps cut down usage but also guides you toward healthier, more intentional digital habits.

4. Establish Daily Time Limits

Start by capping recreational screen use (social media, gaming, streaming) to under 2 hours per day. Setting app timers or alarms helps you stick to boundaries without relying on willpower alone.

Pairing these digital boundaries with strategies for a productive work environment ensures that the hours you do spend on screens are intentional, efficient, and aligned with your priorities.

5. Schedule Offline Activities

Replace “default scrolling” with intentional alternatives — read a physical book, go for a walk, or pick up a hobby that doesn’t involve a device. By filling time with offline activities, you naturally reduce screen reliance.

For those who spend long hours at a desk, it’s also important to incorporate small movement habits during screen breaks. Practicing simple stretches and adopting good office habits to relieve neck stiffness and pain can ease tension built up from hours of looking at monitors. Together, intentional offline activities and mindful office routines ensure that your breaks truly recharge both body and mind.

6. Prioritize Real Conversations

Whenever possible, choose phone calls or face-to-face chats instead of endless texting. This not only keeps connections strong but also reduces unnecessary screen exposure and the strain of staring at small text for long periods. Conversations away from screens encourage more natural posture and give your eyes a break.

If much of your day is still desk-bound, blending in movement habits can make a big difference. Exploring active sitting or simple practices to stay active while sitting at a desk helps counteract the stiffness that comes from prolonged digital use. In this way, reducing screen time isn’t just about what you avoid—it’s also about adding healthier ways to sit, move, and connect throughout the day.

7. Bundle Screens for Productivity

Group screen-based tasks together. For example, check emails at set times instead of continuously throughout the day. This helps you stay productive while keeping total screen time in check.

Pairing this technique with ergonomic habits makes it even more effective. Maintaining the ideal distance from your computer screen to your eyes reduces strain during these concentrated sessions, keeping your posture comfortable and your vision protected.

8. Try Focus-Boosting Apps

If you need extra help, some of the best productivity apps to limit screen time for adults include:

• Freedom – Blocks distracting websites and apps.
• RescueTime – Tracks productivity and alerts you when usage spikes.
• Forest – Rewards you for staying off your phone by “growing” virtual trees.
• StayFocusd (Chrome) – Limits how long you can spend on distracting sites.
• Liven – A mental wellness app designed to improve focus and balance, as highlighted in the Liven app review, illustrates how it fosters healthier digital habits.

9. Protect Your Evenings

Set a “digital sunset” at least an hour before bed. Powering down devices in the evening helps reduce blue light exposure, supports better sleep, and eases the temptation of late-night scrolling.

FAQs

1. What is the average screen time for adults?

The average daily screen time for adults in 2025 is about 6 to 7 hours per day, including phones, computers, tablets, and television. Younger adults typically log the highest totals, while older adults average fewer hours.

2. How to reduce screen time for adults?

Adults can reduce screen time by setting device-free zones, following the 20-20-20 eye break rule, and scheduling offline activities. Using built-in tools like iOS Screen Time or Android Digital Wellbeing also helps track and limit daily usage.

3. What is the recommended screen time for adults?

There is no strict global guideline, but experts suggest keeping recreational screen time under 2 hours per day. Work-related use is often unavoidable, so frequent breaks and ergonomic posture are recommended.

4. What is a healthy screen time for adults?

Healthy screen time for adults balances necessary work use with limited leisure use. Keeping non-work activities under 2 hours daily while prioritizing quality use (like learning or productive tasks) is considered best practice.

5. What is the Gen Z screen time?

Gen Z averages over 9 hours of screen time per day, with the majority of that on smartphones and social media. This generation consistently reports the highest screen use across all age groups.

6. What is the 3 6 9 12 rule for screen time?

The 3-6-9-12 rule is a guideline for children’s screen use: no screens before age 3, no personal screens before 6, supervised use after 9, and responsible independent use after 12. While designed for kids, it underscores the importance of gradual and mindful screen exposure.

7. Is 7 hours of screen time a lot?

Yes, 7 hours of screen time is considered high, especially if most of it is recreational. While it matches the adult average in 2025, experts warn that sustained levels can harm sleep, mental health, and physical well-being without healthy breaks.

Conclusion

The average screen time for adults in 2025 sits between 6 and 7 hours per day, reflecting how deeply technology shapes work, entertainment, and connection. While this has become the norm, experts caution that maintaining healthy screen time for adults is vital for long-term well-being. Keeping recreational use under 2 hours daily, following the recommended screen time for adults, and using the best free apps to limit screen time for adults are practical steps anyone can take.

Ultimately, the ideal screen time for adults isn’t a fixed number but a balance that supports productivity without harming health. By learning how to limit screen time for adults with simple techniques, you can stay connected, focused, and healthier in the digital age.

Key Takeaway: The average screen time for adults may hover around 7 hours, but aiming for less recreational use and setting clear boundaries is the simplest way to protect your health.