The latest data from Nielsen provides an explanation for why every major media outlet has increased the focus on video in recent months. Adults now watch video for almost 6 hours a day on average, based the company’s study. That includes time spent watching live and recorded TV, watching videos on a computer, watching videos on a smartphone or tablet through an app or mobile website, watching videos over a DVD player, game console, or other internet-connected device connected to the TV, and watching videos over a Roku device.
The first quarter of 2018 saw the collection of that data on video consumption, which makes up a significant portion of the 11 hours a day that people spend engaging in audiovisual media.
Notably, traditional media outlets continue to account for a large portion of this media consumption, with adults watching and listening to radio and TV the most. Weekly, the former reaches 88 percent of adults, while the latter does so for 92 percent.
Adults spend an average of 4 hours and 46 minutes per day watching live and time-shifted TV, which consumes the most time.
A rise in the amount of time spent on “TV-connected” gadgets like gaming consoles, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and others is a sign that streaming TV is growing, according to the report. Daily usage has increased by 5 minutes to 40 minutes, with 26 minutes going to internet-connected gadgets and 14 minutes to gaming consoles.
Unsurprisingly, younger individuals are adopting digital platforms and internet-connected devices far faster than older populations, according to Nielsen.
Those between the ages of 18 and 34 now spend 43% of their time consuming media on digital devices (phones, tablets, and laptops), with smartphones accounting for around a third of that time. According to the survey, their percentage of TV-connected usage (14%) is also double that of all adults (18+) and seven times that of individuals over the age of 65.
As a result, they watch a lot more TV on these devices—1 hour, 15 minutes per day, or over 30 minutes more than the typical adult.
The survey from Nielsen also looks at the use of social media. Adults spend 45 minutes on social media daily on average, most of which is spent on smartphones, according to the study.
The social media platforms have definitely recognised the appeal of video and have made adjustments for it. According to the latest study, 64% of adult smartphone users who use social networking websites and apps to watch videos do so at least once every day. According to Nielsen, the percentage for the younger adults (18-34) might reach up to 72%.