Australians Spend 6 Hours a Day on Screens: But There’s a Way Out

Australians Spend 6 Hours a Day on Screens: But There’s a Way Out

We’re a country glued to our screens. Phones, laptops, TVs, iPads… if it lights up, we’re looking at it. The average Aussie adult now spends 5-6 hours a day staring into the digital abyss (Deloitte†), and that’s before Netflix takes us hostage at night.

The question isn’t “are we spending too much time on screens?” anymore, it’s “what is it doing to our brains, bodies, and focus?”

The Stats (and They’re Ugly)

  • 24% of Aussie kids aged 5-14 spend 20+ hours per week on screens (ABS†).
  • 3 hours per day: Average Aussie toddler screen time (Guardian†).
    50% of school-aged kids have sleep problems, with 28% scrolling in bed (RCH Melbourne†).
  • Adults? 5-6 hrs daily on phones. Deloitte claims we unlock them 150+ times a day (Deloitte†).


Spoiler: nobody’s sticking to the guidelines.

Concentration: Shot to Bits

The Australian Catholic University meta-analysis (2025) reviewed 117 studies covering 292,000 children and found excessive screen use is tied to increased anxiety, attention issues, and depression, creating a feedback loop:

more screen time → more issues → more screen time

Welcome to the doom-loop.

In adults, this looks like:

  • Jumping between 12 tabs, forgetting why you opened any of them.
  • Feeling fried after “just checking” Instagram.
  • Struggling to get into deep work because your brain is on TikTok time.

The Health Hangover

Excessive screen use is now being linked to cardiometabolic risks such as high blood pressure and insulin resistance (SciTechDaily†). Basically, the same problems you’d get from sitting on the couch with too many beers, except your couch is a glowing rectangle.

Sleep takes the biggest hit. Blue light suppresses melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep (Black Dog Institute†). Add doom-scrolling at midnight and suddenly the 7am alarm feels like a personal attack.

Screens don’t tuck you in, they keep you up.

What About Kids?

Yes, kids are on screens too. But here’s the kicker: their brains are still developing.

Research from the Black Dog Institute (2023) shows the amount and type of screen use matters for adolescent mental health (Black Dog Institute†).

The Guardian (2024) reported that toddlers exposed to higher daily screen use hear significantly fewer words from adults, slowing language development (Guardian†).

Imagine growing up learning more from YouTube than your parents.

Taking Back Control (Without Going Full Hermit)

The fix isn’t to throw your phone in the Yarra. It’s about taking back control, piece by piece. Aussies who’ve actually cut back say these work:

  1. Screen-Free Zones → Bedroom = sleep, kitchen = chat, not scroll.
  2. Screen Curfews → No screens an hour before bed. Old rule, still gold.
  3. Micro Detoxes → Block out 30 minutes daily as “offline time.” Walk, cook, doodle.
  4. App Timers → iOS Screen Time/Android Digital Wellbeing to set limits.
  5. Replace the Scroll → Keep a book or mindfulness journal nearby.
  6. Detox Challenges → Try ≤2 hrs/day recreational use for a week. An RCT found stress, sleep, and mood can improve (BMC Medicine†).
  7. Batch Notifications → Turn off push alerts, check messages in chunks.
  8. Digital Sabbaths → Pick one low-screen day per week.
  9. Accountability Buddy → Pair with a mate for a “screen challenge.”
  10. Out of Sight, Out of Mind → Keep your phone in another room during meals or work.

Final Thoughts

Australia doesn’t need another lecture about putting our phones down. But the data doesn’t lie: the more time we spend online, the more we trade away focus, health, and sleep.

The fix isn’t complicated. We just need to remember that real life happens outside the glow.

So maybe it’s time to log off, pick up that book you bought six months ago, and rediscover offline joy.

Trusted Sources Used†

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Children spending more hours on screen-based activities

Black Dog Institute – Teens & Screens Report 2023

Australian Catholic University (ACU) – Meta-analysis on screen time & emotional problems, 2025

Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne – National Child Health Poll, 2025 (sleep & screen time findings)

The Guardian (Australia) – Reporting on toddler screen use and language development (2024)

Deloitte Mobile Consumer Survey – Phone unlock & screen time averages (Australia, 2023–24)

World Health Organization (WHO) – Screen time recommendations (≤2 hrs/day recreational for children)

BMC Medicine (2025) – Randomised Controlled Trial: Reducing screen time to ≤2 hrs/day improved wellbeing

 

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