CV Newsfeed // According to data from the American Time Use Survey, Americans spend 63 times more time looking at screens each day than engaging in mental activities.
The survey measured spirituality in two ways: the average amount of time spent attending formal religious services and the amount of time spent on personal spiritual or religious activities each day.
According to the Deseret News, the statistics show a clear overall decline in Americans’ participation in formal religious services, and that spiritual and religious practices no longer play a large role in the daily lives of most Americans.
The data shows that, apart from sleeping, Americans now spend more time looking at screens than anything else: 22 minutes a day playing games, which is nine times the time they spend on personal worship. Additionally, the average American watches more than 2.5 hours of television a day, which is 63 times the time they spend on spiritual activities.
We spend 10 times more time looking at television screens than we do reading, eight times more time exercising, and five times more time than we do caring for children or other family members.
The Deseret News points out that the data doesn’t include what is likely the most time-consuming activity: scrolling on a phone. This omission is because the study began in 2003, before smartphones became widespread.
The survey showed a slight increase in time spent in personal prayer: On an average day in 2023, Americans spent 2.4 minutes on personal spiritual activities, up from 1.8 minutes in 2003.
