How this calculator works
The calculator converts a daily habit into a yearly total by multiplying the daily minutes by the days you use the app and then by 52 weeks. It then translates that total into three familiar measures. Dividing by 24 gives full days. Multiplying the hours by your reading speed and dividing by the length of an average book gives books. Multiplying the hours by your net hourly pay gives the money the same time would earn, and dividing by 40 gives full-time working weeks. None of these is a prediction of what you would do with the time; they are yardsticks for judging its size.
Formula
Yearly hours = daily minutes / 60 x days per week x 52. Full days = yearly hours / 24. Books = yearly hours x pages per hour / pages per book. Money value = yearly hours x hourly pay. Working weeks = yearly hours / 40.
Worked example
Two hours a day, seven days a week, is 728 hours a year, or 30.3 full days. At 60 pages an hour and 300 pages a book, that is 145.6 books. At 25 an hour the time is worth 18,200, and it equals 18.2 full-time working weeks.
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Frequently asked questions
Why use net pay rather than gross pay?
The comparison only makes sense with money you would actually receive. Gross pay includes income tax and other deductions that never reach your account, so using it overstates the value of the time.
Is this meant to make me feel guilty?
No. Social media is not wasted time for everyone, and the calculator does not know what you get from it. The comparisons are a way to see the scale of a habit, so you can decide consciously whether that is how you want to spend it.
Does the app screen time figure match this?
Phone wellbeing dashboards count every session, including notifications and quick checks, and they are the best source for the daily figure. Many people underestimate their own use, so check the dashboard rather than guessing.
How could I read nearly 150 books a year?
You probably would not, and that is not the point. The book count converts hours into a unit people understand. A realistic swap might be a few books, more sleep or a hobby, and the yearly hours let you judge how much room there is.