"Screen Time" and the Perception of It Among Different Social Classes

“Screen Time” and the subsequent demonization of it is a phenomenon that is not as analyzed through a social and comparative lens as much as psychological and health ones. To address this gap in research, we performed a content analysis on articles concerning families and “screen time” use that were published on two well-known parenting websites SheKnows and Parents.com from 2019 - 2022 (n = 220). In this paper, we address how these articles talk about screen time use among different social classes. In our analysis, we found what appears to be a double standard in the way screen time use is perceived among different classes. Families of higher income are less demonized for screen time use, and have easier access to exercise familial activities that do not rely on a device. It is important to recognize these biases in the popular discourse in order to understand the nuances present within it and to navigate future discussion on it.