Consumers spent 28.2% more time on mobile devices in 2010 than they did the previous year, following a 21.9% increase in time spent on mobile devices in 2009, according to eMarketer. Time spent on the internet gained in 2010 as well, though the rate of gain was far less than that of mobile devices, at 6%.
Perhaps not surprisingly, other media posted losses. TV and video each lost 1.1% in 2010, while time spent with newspapers and magazines each lost 9.1%. The estimates apply to average media usage of the general public.
Overall, the average time spent with all major media increased to 11 hours in 2010, up from about 10.6 hours in 2008. In terms of share, TV and video (not including online video) continued to capture the bulk of time spent with media, at about 40%. Online’s share increased from 21.5% to 23.5%, while mobile’s share increased to 7.5%, from 5%.
The total share of magazines and newspapers fluctuated between 10% and 7.5%. Meanwhile, share of radio fell, as did share of outdoor media and movies (in theaters).
eMarketer predicts that mobile devices will continue to claim more and more media time, while TV, print and radio will continue to lose ground.
Mobile devices are also continuing to encroach upon landline telephone use. In the first six months of 2010, more than one of every four U.S. households (26.6%) did not have a landline telephone but did have at least one wireless telephone, according to preliminary estimates from the National Health
Interview Survey (NHIS). Approximately 25% of all adults (or about 57 million adults) lived in households with only wireless telephones; 29% of all children (or more than 21 million children) lived in households with only wireless telephones.
Published on December 30, 2010
