The Average Screen Time by Age in 2026
Checking your screen time and wonder how you stack up compared to others your age?
James Neville
6/29/20262 min read
Average Screen Time by Age Group (2026)
18 to 24: around 8 hours a day
25 to 34: around 7.6 hours
35 to 44: around 7 hours
45 to 54: around 6 hours
55 to 64: around 5 hours
65 and over: around 3 to 5 hours
Screen Time Highest in Late Teens and Twenties
The youngest adults and oldest teens are the heaviest users by a clear margin. In the US, the 18 to 24 bracket tops every cohort tracked, and Gen Z as a whole averages over 9 hours a day once school and study screens are included. This is the group most exposed to short-form video, where a single app can hold well over an hour of daily attention on its own.
It is also the group most aware of the problem. Around three quarters of Gen Z say they spend too much time on their phones, a higher share than any older generation, which is part of why digital detox habits are spreading fastest among younger users.
Why Screen Time Varies by Age
For adults over 55, television makes up the majority of screen time, and smartphone use drops off sharply. Younger adults live on their phones; older adults watch longer-form video.
The gap is not fixed, though. The 55 to 64 band has increased its online time year on year, even as some younger bands hold flat. The same engagement mechanics that hooked younger users are reaching older ones on a delay, which suggests the age gap will narrow as heavy-using generations grow older and carry their habits with them.
Kids and Teens Are Measured Differently
Child and teen figures come from a different kind of survey, usually counting entertainment screen media outside of schoolwork, so they are not directly comparable to the adult totals above. Even so, the trend is steep. US teens aged 13 to 18 average roughly 8 hours 39 minutes of screen media a day, tweens aged 8 to 12 average about 5 hours 33 minutes, and children under 8 sit closer to 2.5 hours.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
Age tells you how much the average person in your bracket uses screens. It does not tell you what that time is worth. Two people can both average 7 hours and live completely different lives depending on whether those hours are spent working, learning and connecting, or scrolling passively before be