Screen Time Calculator
See how many hours, days and years of your life go to screens, and what that time would be worth if you spent it on work, skills or people.
Informational only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor.
How it works
Enter your average daily leisure screen time. Your phone's Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing settings show a weekly average, which is the most honest number to use. Include social media, video, games and browsing, but leave out the hours you spend on screens for your job.
Enter your current age and a life expectancy. The average in the United States is close to 79 years, but you can adjust it. The calculator multiplies your daily hours by 365 for a yearly total and by your remaining years for a lifetime total, then converts the hours into full years.
Finally, enter what one hour of your time is worth. You could use your take-home hourly pay, a freelance rate, or simply the value you put on an hour with family. The result shows the yearly and lifetime value of that time, plus the share of your 16 waking hours each day that screens use.
Formula
yearly hours
Where:
- daily hours
- = Average leisure screen time per day
- 8,760
- = Hours in a 365 day year
- 16
- = Waking hours per day, assuming 8 hours of sleep
Worked example
A 30 year old with 4 hours of daily screen time spends 4 × 365 = 1,460 hours a year on screens, about 60.8 full days. That is 25% of every waking day.
Over the next 50 years to age 80, that becomes 73,000 hours, or 8.3 full years. Valued at $20 an hour, one year of screen time is worth $29,200 and the lifetime total is $1,460,000.
Turning screen time into time you choose
The goal of this screen time calculator is not guilt, it is awareness. Most people underestimate their phone use by an hour or more because it happens in small bursts. Seeing that two extra hours a day adds up to more than a month each year makes it easier to decide what you actually want from those minutes.
Try a simple experiment: cut your daily average by one hour for 30 days and spend that time on something you have been putting off, such as exercise, a side project or calling a friend. One hour a day is 365 hours a year, roughly nine full 40 hour work weeks. Recalculate after a month to see how the lifetime total changes.
Frequently asked questions
Surveys usually put average adult leisure screen time in the US between 4 and 7 hours a day, with phones making up the largest share. Your own device report is more accurate than any average.
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For informational purposes only. This calculator does not provide medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on these results.