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 Seattle Times

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

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 Seattle Times