**Abstract** The notion that digital screen engagement decreases adolescent well-being has become a recurring feature in public, political and scientific conversation. The current level of psychological evidence, however, is far removed from the certainty voiced by many commentators. There is little clear-cut evidence that ‘screen time’ decreases adolescent well-being, with most psychological results based on single-country, exploratory studies that rely on inaccurate but popular self-report measures of digital screen engagement. This study, encompassing three nationally representative large-scale datasets from Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom (ntot = 17,314) and including improved time-use diary measures of digital screen engagement, uses both exploratory and confirmatory study designs to introduce methodological and analytical improvements to a growing psychological research area. We find little evidence for substantial negative associations between digital screen engagement - measured either throughout the day or particularly before bedtime - and adolescent well-being.