Screen Time & Scroll: Phone Screen Time (Hours) vs Miles (Scroll Distance)
See how your screen time & scroll habit scales when comparing phone screen time (hours) to miles (scroll distance). Your thumb gets a workout. See how far you scroll in terms of marathons or even trips to the moon, and find out how many days you spend on screen.
Size My Screen Time & Scroll
(Global Avg: 3h 46m per day)
Your Habit Scale
| Time Period | Equivalent in Miles (Scroll Distance) |
|---|---|
| 1 Year | 15.4 miles |
| 5 Years | 76.9 miles |
| 25 Years | 384.4 miles |
How It's Calculated
- 1. Your input: 03:46 per day.
- 2. Each hour of screen time is estimated to equal 18 meters (≈ 59 feet) of vertical scrolling.
- 3. This results in a total scroll distance of 68 meters (≈ 222 feet) per day.
- 4. The final result shows this total distance converted to miles over 1, 5, and 25 years.
Why It's Important
Your thumb is an endurance athlete! Based on an average scroll rate, your annual screen time translates to scrolling a distance equivalent to 15.4 Miles (Scroll Distance)(s). You're not just browsing; you're on a digital pilgrimage, covering vast distances one flick at a time. Forget walking a marathon; you've scrolled one from your couch!
Why is this incredible distance so important? It turns an abstract habit—staring at a screen—into a physical, tangible measure of engagement and time. This visualization of your total scrolling distance is a powerful metaphor for the sheer volume of content you consume and the time invested in digital media. It's a fun yet stark reminder of the hours spent, prompting reflection on digital wellness, time management, and the value of your offline moments.
Do you need help with your habit? See our list of international helplines and resources.
The Science Behind It
Excessive screen time is linked to a range of health outcomes, from digital eye strain and sleep disruption to psychological effects and metabolic risk. This calculator contextualizes your usage against data from peer-reviewed studies and public health guidelines to help you make informed decisions.
1. Guidelines vs. Reality
Health bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) have established clear guidelines for daily screen time, especially for children and adolescents, to promote healthy development. However, population-level data shows that average usage often exceeds these recommendations by a significant margin. Our analysis charts highlight this gap.
2. Melatonin Suppression & Sleep
Evening exposure to blue-enriched light from screens suppresses the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, which can delay sleep onset. Using devices within an hour of bedtime is a key contributor to "social jetlag," where your biological clock becomes misaligned with your social schedule.
3. Psychological Well-Being
High total screen time, particularly on social media, correlates with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression in both adolescents and adults. Longitudinal studies indicate that each additional hour of daily use can increase the odds of depressive symptoms by around 10%.
4. Physical Inactivity & Metabolic Risk
Sedentary screen time displaces physical activity, contributing to cardiometabolic risk factors. Meta-analyses show that every two-hour increase in daily recreational screen time is associated with a 6% higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events.
Sources:
- World Health Organization - Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age.
- Rideout & Robb 2020 - Objectively measured infant and toddler screen time.
- Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (CSEP).
- DataReportal Digital 2025: Global Overview Report.
- Exploding Topics - Time Spent Using Smartphones (2025 Statistics).
- Common Sense Census 2019 (via ABC News).
- Pediatrics (2020) - Young Children’s Use of Smartphones and Tablets.