TARGET PATH, NOT PRESCRIPTION
Make an entered screen-time target internally feasible and reviewable
This calculator helps an adult, family, student, or coach stage a target that has already been chosen. It reserves known required use, creates equal review-point changes, and displays the upper tolerance boundary. It does not supply a healthy limit or judge whether the target fits an individual.
| Review point | Horizon day | Planned daily minutes | Optional minutes after required use |
|---|
Detailed calculation process
Formula, declared symbols, substitutions, intermediate results, and reconciliation
N = ceil(7W/I); Δ = (C − T)/N; Pj = max[T, C − jΔ]; O = T − R; U = T + b
The model converts W weeks to days, divides the horizon into N review points I days apart, and assigns an equal baseline-to-target decrement Δ. Required use R is subtracted only from the final target to expose its remaining optional allowance.
| Symbol | Meaning | Default | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| C, T | Current daily average and chosen target | 270, 150 | min/day |
| W, I | Deadline and review spacing | 10 weeks, 14 days | weeks; days |
| N, Δ | Review count and equal decrement | calculated | count; min/review |
| R | Required daily use retained | 90 | min/day |
| b | Entered tolerance | 15 | min/day |
Default substitution: 10 weeks = 70 days; N=ceil(70/14)=5; Δ=(270−150)/5=24 minutes per review; optional allowance O=150−90=60; upper tolerance U=150+15=165.
Six-step target workflow
Stage the change and preserve its evidence
- Create a non-duplicated daily baseline from a representative week.
- List required school, work, care, navigation, communication, and accessibility use before choosing the total target.
- Select a deadline that covers a stable routine rather than a holiday or exceptional week.
- Choose review spacing frequent enough to detect drift but long enough to observe a pattern.
- Record the planned daily level at every review and compare it with the same log definition.
- At the deadline, audit required use and tolerance misses before deciding whether to maintain, revise, or stop the plan.
Five target fundamentals
Distinguish the floor, path, and review rule
Observed baseline
The starting average is evidence from a defined period, not a permanent personal trait.
Chosen target
The user supplies this value; the calculator verifies arithmetic feasibility but not medical suitability.
Required-use floor
Known obligations remain visible so an apparently disciplined target cannot be lower than its own stated needs.
Review decrement
Equal steps are a transparent planning convention, not a claim that behavior changes linearly.
Tolerance boundary
A declared upper band supports consistent review; it is not a diagnosis or universal rule.
Three target deep dives
Interpret a miss before tightening the cap
Feasibility first
When required use exceeds the target, the plan is invalid before motivation is discussed. Change the boundary or the obligations with the relevant authority.
Review cadence
Very frequent reviews amplify day-to-day noise; very sparse reviews allow long drift. Match cadence to the stability of the routine.
Maintenance phase
Reaching a target once does not establish a stable routine. A later maintenance window needs its own baseline and tolerance record.
Evidence guidance
Record why the target was chosen
Keep the baseline export, category and overlap rules, inventory of required use, target rationale, review dates, device settings, household or workplace agreements, and each observed review average. If the target came from professional advice, preserve the source and applicable date.
Target limitations
What the step ledger does not establish
- It does not choose an age-, diagnosis-, occupation-, or disability-appropriate target.
- Equal review decrements are a planning device and do not predict a linear behavioral response.
- The horizon-hour result assumes the average planned level changes linearly between endpoints.
- Required use can change with work, school, caregiving, travel, or accessibility needs.
- The page does not evaluate content, sleep timing, distress, safety, learning, or clinical outcomes.
Target glossary
Six terms for a staged plan
- Baseline average
- Non-duplicated daily screen minutes measured before the plan.
- Target
- The user-chosen daily level at the deadline.
- Required-use floor
- Daily minutes already committed to stated obligations or access needs.
- Review point
- A scheduled observation date with a planned daily level.
- Decrement
- The equal reduction assigned to each review interval.
- Tolerance
- An entered planning band around the target for consistent interpretation.
Two target cases
A stable work routine and a changing school term
Stable evening baseline
An adult preserves work video calls and reduces optional evening use over five biweekly reviews. The optional allowance remains positive at the target.
School-term change
A student’s required homework platform time rises after the plan begins. The former target becomes infeasible, so the family updates the required-use record rather than labeling the review a failure.
Important note
A target should not conceal signs that need support
Loss of control, significant distress, sleep disruption, unsafe content, bullying, developmental concerns, or impaired daily responsibilities require more than a numeric cap. Consult an appropriate professional or responsible institution.
Target questions
Frequently asked questions
Why use review steps instead of one deadline?
Review points turn a distant target into smaller observable changes and expose a plan that is drifting early.
What is the tolerance band?
It is a planning range around the target, not a medical safety threshold or permission to ignore repeated misses.
Why preserve required minutes inside the target?
A total target that is lower than known school, work, care, navigation, or accessibility needs is internally infeasible.
Can the target equal the current baseline?
Yes. The result then has a zero reduction and flat review path, useful for maintaining rather than reducing use.
Does the linear path require daily reductions?
No. The page assigns equal change per review point; actual daily variation may be large.
Can this set a target for a young child?
The calculator does not choose age-appropriate limits. Caregivers should use current professional guidance and the child’s individual needs.
Official guidance and related plans