thumb|271x271px|A family plays a game of [[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly. Social play through board games are an examples of quality time.]]
Quality time is a sociology expression referring to a proactive interaction between individuals, set aside for paying undivided attention, usually to express love or accomplish a shared goal.
Sometimes abbreviated QT, it is an informal reference to time spent with close family, partners, or friends that is in some way important, special, productive or profitable to one or everyone involved. Having conversations, solving jigsaw puzzles, collaborating on projects, and conversing during road trips can be examples of quality time. It may also refer to the effective use of time in educational settings,
History
Its use as a noun expression ("quality time") began in the 1970s. One of the earliest records of this phrase in print was in the Annapolis newspaper The Capital, January 1973, in the article "How To Be Liberated":
In the context of public schooling, the National Commission on Excellence in Education began to use the phrase circa 1983. "Quality time" was described in a 1983 letter by the principal of Hampton High School to U.S. Secretary of Education Terrell Bell. Principal Scholtz wrote, "Quality time will be enhanced by reducing that time spent by teachers on discipline and on administrative duties" and thereby "freeing teachers to do what they do best...teach".
By 1985, the phrase was in common use in books about parenting and parenting styles. Examples include A Parents' Guide to Quality Time with Preschoolers (1984), The Quality Time Almanac: A Sourcebook of Ideas and Activities for Parents and Kids (1986), and Parentips: Quality Time with Kids (1986).
Gary Champan's 1992 book The Five Love Languages defined and popularized the phrase's contemporary usage.
The Time Bind, a 1997 book, was mentioned in Newsweek's multi-page feature about "The Myth of Quality Time". of another 1997 book, Time for Life, Author Robinson's diary-based research shows that 15 hours per week of "free time" (the greatest category of time used) goes into TV viewing.