How to Use the Screen Time Budget Calculator
Subtract sleep, work, and daily necessities from 24 hours to reveal your actual free time. Then set what percentage of that free time you want to spend on screens. The calculator shows your screen time budget and how much non-screen leisure time remains. Use this to design a balanced day and reduce digital overload without giving up your devices entirely.
Free Time Formula
Free time = 24 − Sleep − Work/School − Meals/Hygiene/Commute. For example, 7 hours sleep + 9 hours work + 2 hours daily tasks = 6 hours free. At 30%, that gives 1h 48m of screen time and 4h 12m for other leisure.
Screen Time and Wellbeing
| Daily screen time | Rating | Common effects |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 hour | Excellent | Strong focus and sleep |
| 1–2 hours | Good | Generally healthy |
| 2–4 hours | Moderate | Sleep quality may drop |
| 4+ hours | Caution | Focus, sleep, posture issues |
Practical Tips to Stay Within Your Budget
Use your phone's built-in Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) to set app limits. Moving social media apps off your home screen reduces mindless tapping. Keeping your phone out of the bedroom for the last hour before sleep is one of the highest-impact habits for sleep quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Work screens fall under work hours and are excluded from this personal screen time budget. This tool focuses on recreational or personal device use during free time.
Allocating 25–33% of free time to a single medium leaves room for diverse activities. It is a rough guide — adjust to fit your lifestyle.
Set work/school hours to 0 to model a weekend. The calculator will show how much more free time you have compared to a weekday.