A new research report by Electronics Hub examines which countries spend the most time in front of screens. Based on data from Datareportal’s Digital 2024 report, the findings reveal some stark national differences in screen habits.
According to the study, South Africa is the country where individuals spend the highest proportion of their waking hours glued to a screen. The average South African spends 56.80% of their daily waking time looking at screens like phones, TVs, and computers. This aligns with previous research showing high rates of screen exposure among South African children.
Following South Africa is the United Arab Emirates, where locals spend 49.09% of their awake hours on screens. Per the report, the UAE has high rates of video gaming, which may contribute to elevated screen time.
When it comes to social media specifically, South Africans again top the rankings. They devote 22.26% of their waking day to scrolling platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Brazil ranks second, with 21.48% of waking hours spent on social apps.
For TikTok viewership, the United Kingdom takes the lead, with the average Brit watching 154 TikTok videos per day, accounting for over 10% of their waking hours. The U.S. follows with 142 daily TikTok video views on average.
Turning to computers, Russia ranks highest, with 27.07% of waking hours spent on laptops and desktops. This likely reflects Russia’s active gaming community on platforms like Steam. Portugal (24.10%) and Chile (22.20%) also rank as top countries for computer screen time.
Mobile phones command vast amounts of daily attention as well. In the Philippines, individuals spend 31.45% of their waking day on their phones—the third highest rate globally after South Africa. Thailand closely follows at 30.18% of time spent phone-obsessed.
When it comes to gaming, Saudi Arabia claims the top spot, with residents gaming for 10.02% of their waking hours on average. The Saudi government has invested heavily in the gaming industry in recent years.
According to the report, the country that spends the highest proportion of wake time watching TV is the United States, at 28.35%. South Africa (24.67%), Brazil (24.15%), and the UK (24.04%) round out the top TV-watching nations.
The report’s findings highlight screen time as a potential area of concern worldwide. Many popular apps and platforms are specifically designed to maximize engagement and attention, making it easy to lose track of time spent scrolling, watching, or gaming. Some applications have implemented screen time management tools, but reducing societal screen obsession remains an ongoing challenge.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
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A new research report by Electronics Hub examines which countries spend the most time in front of screens. Based on data from Datareportal’s Digital 2024 report, the findings reveal some stark national differences in screen habits.
According to the study, South Africa is the country where individuals spend the highest proportion of their waking hours glued to a screen. The average South African spends 56.80% of their daily waking time looking at screens like phones, TVs, and computers. This aligns with previous research showing high rates of screen exposure among South African children.
Following South Africa is the United Arab Emirates, where locals spend 49.09% of their awake hours on screens. Per the report, the UAE has high rates of video gaming, which may contribute to elevated screen time.
When it comes to social media specifically, South Africans again top the rankings. They devote 22.26% of their waking day to scrolling platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Brazil ranks second, with 21.48% of waking hours spent on social apps.
For TikTok viewership, the United Kingdom takes the lead, with the average Brit watching 154 TikTok videos per day, accounting for over 10% of their waking hours. The U.S. follows with 142 daily TikTok video views on average.
Turning to computers, Russia ranks highest, with 27.07% of waking hours spent on laptops and desktops. This likely reflects Russia’s active gaming community on platforms like Steam. Portugal (24.10%) and Chile (22.20%) also rank as top countries for computer screen time.
Mobile phones command vast amounts of daily attention as well. In the Philippines, individuals spend 31.45% of their waking day on their phones—the third highest rate globally after South Africa. Thailand closely follows at 30.18% of time spent phone-obsessed.
When it comes to gaming, Saudi Arabia claims the top spot, with residents gaming for 10.02% of their waking hours on average. The Saudi government has invested heavily in the gaming industry in recent years.
According to the report, the country that spends the highest proportion of wake time watching TV is the United States, at 28.35%. South Africa (24.67%), Brazil (24.15%), and the UK (24.04%) round out the top TV-watching nations.
The report’s findings highlight screen time as a potential area of concern worldwide. Many popular apps and platforms are specifically designed to maximize engagement and attention, making it easy to lose track of time spent scrolling, watching, or gaming. Some applications have implemented screen time management tools, but reducing societal screen obsession remains an ongoing challenge.
Read the full report here.