Which days count?
A screen-time total can change simply because one week is unfinished. Compare the same days before deciding what changed.
Two fictional logs · No phones, accounts or personal figures needed · About 10 minutes
Print page 1 for learners. Page 2 is the answer key.
Case 01 · Missing days
Did screen time fall by 100 minutes?
A fictional student sees 250 minutes in one school week and 150 so far in the next. A classmate says, “That’s 100 minutes less.” What can the records actually show?
| Day | Week A | Week B |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 40 | 30 |
| Tuesday | 60 | 75 |
| Wednesday | 50 | 45 |
| Thursday | 70 | Not recorded |
| Friday | 30 | Not recorded |
- Which days have a value in both weeks?
- Add only those days. What are the two totals?
- Rewrite the classmate’s claim in one accurate sentence.
Case 02 · Recorded zero
Does zero mean missing?
| Day | Week A | Week B |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 0 | 20 |
| Saturday | 30 | Not recorded |
Which day counts here? State the change in minutes. Can it also be expressed as a percentage of the starting value?
Discuss: What could the same number of minutes mean for someone doing homework, talking to a friend, or navigating home? A usage total does not reveal why someone used a screen.
Reveal the answer key
Case 1
Match Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Week A is 40 + 60 + 50 = 150 minutes. Week B is 30 + 75 + 45 = 150 minutes. The three matched days have the same total. The entries do not tell us how the full weeks compare.
Case 2
Friday counts: zero was recorded. Saturday is excluded because Week B has no entry. The change is 20 minutes more on Friday. Percentage change relative to a zero starting value is undefined.
Facilitator note: Invite different interpretations of the same fictional logs. Participants need not share their own activity. The exercise neither sets a healthy limit nor measures wellbeing.