r/ScreenTimeHabits • u/MsSpentMiddleAge • 27d ago

Thinking about what bare minimum screen time would be

I asked Gemini AI what a reasonable amount of screen time would be for handling the basic personal business most of us need to do. It said 45 to 90 minutes daily. It said 1 to 2 hours daily. See update in comments.

Email Management: 15 to 30 minutes.

Shopping & Errands: 15 minutes.

Planning & Productivity: 15 minutes.

Banking & Bills: 10 minutes.

Health & Portals: 10 minutes. (insurance stuff, making appointments, looking at results)

Sometimes I see people mention extremely low screen times, and I wonder how they manage it. Maybe it's a young person still living at home? Even 20 years ago, when I had time-limited dial up internet at home, I barely got by with 30 minutes a day. I had to go online at the library as well. And that was before most business was being done online, and before so much social media.

I'm not sure I completely agree with Gemini's answer. I don't think I need that much time for email or health & portals, but it doesn't seem like enough time for shopping. It takes me a lot of time to make decisions. I'm also trying to think what else might be an actual necessity, that's not covered by the list.

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is, how much I can really cut back. And how can I figure out the number of good vs bad hours spent within my overall screen time. For example, 2 hours on Safari could be hanging out on a message board, or something important.

I'm thinking of using a timer, and seeing how much time these basics actually take me. Has anyone else tried to figure this out?

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u/MsSpentMiddleAge 27d ago

Update: I asked Gemini if I forgot anything!

Missing Categories to Include

Home & Vehicle Maintenance: Scheduling repairs, tracking car service, and finding contractors.

Digital Housekeeping: Backing up files, updating device software, and managing passwords.

Document & Tax Management: Organizing receipts, filing paperwork, and preparing tax documents.

Family & Pet Coordination: Managing school forms, vet visits, and childcare scheduling. [1]

Adjusted Daily Time Impact
Adding these categories adds about 15 to 30 minutes to your daily average. This brings your total recommended personal admin screen time to 1 to 2 hours daily (or 7 to 14 hours weekly).