Screen time: Based on the response to the question, “On most weekdays, how many hours do youspend a day in front of a TV, computer, cellphone or other electronic device watching programs,playing games, accessing the internet, or using social media?” Respondents were instructed not toinclude time spent for schoolwork. Response options were “Less than 1 hour; 1 hour; 2 hours;3 hours; 4 or more hours.”

During July 2021 through December 2023, about 1 in 4 teenagers ages 12–17 with 4 hoursor more of daily screen time had experienced anxiety (27.1%) or depression (25.9%)symptoms in the past 2 weeks (Figure 4, Table 4).● Teenagers who had 4 or more hours of daily screen time were more likely to have hadanxiety symptoms in the past 2 weeks (27.1%) compared with teenagers with less than4 hours of daily screen time (12.3%).● Teenagers who had 4 or more hours of daily screen time were more likely to have haddepression symptoms in the past 2 weeks (25.9%) compared with teenagers with less than4 hours of daily screen time (9.5%).

Teenagers living in metropolitan areas were more likely to have 4 hours or more of dailyscreen time (51.4%) compared with teenagers living in nonmetropolitan areas (43.3%).

The percentage of teenagers ages 12–17 living in families with incomes of less than200% of the federal poverty level with 4 hours or more of daily screen time (51.7%) wascomparable to the percentage of teenagers living in families with incomes of 200% of thefederal poverty level or more (49.6%) (Figure 3, Table 3).● Teenagers living in families where the highest parental education was some college or lesswere more likely to have 4 hours or more of daily screen time (55.0%) compared withteenagers living in families where the highest parental education was a college degree orhigher (45.2%).

About one-half of teenagers had 4 hours or more of dailyscreen time.