screenager

[ skreen-ey-jer ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a teen or young adult who is proficient with computers, smartphones, etc., and who generally spends considerable time browsing the internet, gaming, or conversing via social media:

   With two working parents and three screenagers, a family dinner with real conversation is a rarity.

screenager

/ ˈskriːnˌeɪdʒə /

noun

1. informal.
   a teenager who is dully conversant with and skilled in the use of computers and other electronic devices

Word History and Origins

Origin of screenager¹

First recorded in 1955–60, in the sense “a young person who watches a lot of television”; screen ( def ) + (teen)ager ( def )

Example Sentences

“It’s almost like a boomer is using their phone as if they’re a 12-year-old who first got their phone and they’re screenager.”

From Washington Post

I tested Screen Time for three weeks with a colleague’s daughter and was thrilled to see that the curbs helped the screenager cut iPhone use down to about three hours a day from roughly six hours.

From New York Times

Strange things happened as that screenager collided with the software, set for release this fall.

From Seattle Times

So when Apple announced new software to help people restrict the amount of time they spend on iPhones, I knew I had to test it — on myself, and on a “screenager.”

From Seattle Times

I also wanted to try it on a “screenager,” a teenager who is addicted to screens — exactly the kind of person generating so much concern.

From New York Times