It’s been six years since Apple first introduced Screen Time in iOS 12, allowing us to see just how much time we spend using our phones, while also allowing parents to set limits for their kids. The feature was extended to Macs a year later.
Apple has also introduced additional features intended to make our devices less addictive, but a recent study suggests that our screen usage may be higher than ever …
Screen Time
Screen Time launched back in 2018, alongside other features intended to help us spend less time staring at screens.
“We’re offering our users detailed information and tools to help them better understand and control the time they spend with apps and websites, how often they pick up their iPhone or iPad during the day and how they receive notifications,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering […] “With Screen Time, these new tools are empowering users who want help managing their device time, and balancing the many things that are important to them.”
The same update included enhancements to Do Not Disturb and a number of different ways to limit the number of notifications we see.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has frequently spoken about the issue, saying the company is aware of the potential harmful impact of spending too much time interacting with technology rather than people.
I’ve always thought that technology should serve humanity and not the other way around. And I always worried about people using technology too much. And so, we came out with Screen Time to try to give people a true reading of the amount of time they’re really spending on their devices because generally it’s a lot more than they say.
But that’s just one element. It’s also what you’re doing [on them]. I’ve often worried about the endless scrolling, the surrounding yourself with negativity and so forth. [We want technology to] serve humanity. Their whole company is based on this. And it’s how we look at the world. We want people to do things with their devices, like the photography exhibit that we both enjoyed, or connecting with family and friends with FaceTime. Not endless, mindless scrolling.
He said that the feature helped him reduce his device usage.
UK study suggests screen time is increasing
But six years on, a large-scale study in the UK suggests that we’re spending more time looking at screens, rather than less. TechCrunch reports:
Adults are spending an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes each day online across smartphones, tablets and computers in the U.K., according to figures from Ofcom’s annual Online Nation report diving into consumer digital habits. The figure is a big jump compared to 2023, when adults over 18 spent an average of 3 hours and 41 minutes online
There was a particularly large jump among 18-24 year olds.
18-24 year-olds hooked on TikTok and Instagram are spending six hours and 1 minute online. That is up by 1.5 hours over 2023, when they were online for 4 hours 36 minutes.
The lowest device usage was seen among those aged 65+, averaging 3h 10m per day.
Has Screen Time helped you and your family?
Do you use Screen Time to monitor your own usage, or to limit usage by your kids? Has it been effective?
Please take our poll, and share your thoughts in the comments.
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