Key Points
- Consumers in the United States and United Kingdom now spend nearly 11 cumulative hours per day using media, according to new data from Ampere Analysis.
- Streaming services account for the highest daily engagement at 1 hour and 57 minutes, followed by social media at 1 hour and 46 minutes and YouTube at 1 hour and 35 minutes.
- The overall figure includes overlapping use, such as watching television while using a smartphone.
Consumers in the United States and United Kingdom now spend almost 11 cumulative hours per day using differentiated media platforms like streaming video, gaming, audio and social video, according to new research released by Ampere Analysis on Monday.
The company’s latest Attention Economy study found that media consumption is no longer centered on one dominant platform or format. Instead, consumers are building varied media routines based on mood, age, location and specific needs.
The daily total includes overlapping activities, such as watching television while using a smartphone. Ampere said that behavior has become more common as mobile devices make it easier for consumers to use multiple media services at the same time.
Streaming services accounted for the highest level of daily engagement at 1 hour and 57 minutes. Social media followed at 1 hour and 46 minutes, while YouTube accounted for 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Ampere said each format serves a different role in consumers’ daily routines. Streaming services are most often used for relaxation and immersion. YouTube is more closely associated with discovery and improving users’ moods, while social media is frequently used to relieve boredom or provide distraction.
“Today’s consumers have more varied media diets than ever before, selecting from an expanding menu of media depending on what they want in the moment,” Sam Nursall, a research manager at Ampere Analysis, said on Monday. “Whether they’re looking to relax, discover something new or simply fill spare time, each medium serves a different purpose. That’s today’s attention economy.”
Age also plays a significant role in media behavior. Gen Alpha consumers between the ages of 11 and 15 spend the most time on YouTube, at 1 hour and 45 minutes per day, and gaming, at 1 hour and 56 minutes. Gen Z consumers between the ages of 16 and 29 spend the most time on social media, at 1 hour and 54 minutes, and music services, at 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Consumers in the two markets access an average of 11.5 media platforms each week, including pay television, streaming services, broadcaster video-on-demand services, social media, music streaming and gaming. Streaming services such as Netflix and Disney Plus account for 4.1 of those platforms.
Generation X and Baby Boomers spend comparatively more time with streaming services, television channels and live sports. Gen Alpha uses the widest range of services, accessing an average of 13.6 platforms per week.
Ampere also found that mobile devices are extending media consumption outside the home. More than half of music streaming users regularly listen away from home, along with 34 percent of podcast listeners, 20 percent of social media users and 11 percent of gamers.
The study was conducted among respondents between the ages of 11 and 64 in the United States and United Kingdom.
