America has become a nation of TV-, smartphone- and tablet-screen zombies — addicted to the glow so absolutely that many can’t even look away when they’re in the bathroom.
In fact, the average US family owns four digital devices, a report by Nielsen reveals.
The report, “The Digital Consumer,” found that folks in the US are watching less live TV — but increasing the amount of time-shifted TV.
The habits will have a profound effect on the $70 billion TV-ad industry as it looks to follow the viewers however they consume the content.
The Nielsen report found:
- That young adults can’t put their smartphones down even when they go potty. About 40 percent of those aged 18-24, twice the national average, use social media in the bathroom.
- An eye-popping 84 percent are using another device — a smartphone or tablet — when they watch TV.
- In a huge boost for Netflix, the report found 38 percent of US consumers subscribe, or use, the streaming service; 23 percent of those said they watch it on a smartphone outside the home, up from 11 percent the year before.
- As a nation we spend a stunning 2¹/₂ days a week, or 60 hours, consuming media content across all devices.
- Bad news for advertisers trying to reach viewers with perishable offers: We’re watching almost 3 hours less live TV a month, even though TV remains the most-watched screen.
- Time spent watching TV via DVRs or On Demand services rose by 1 hour, 42 minutes, while video viewing via the Web rose by 43 minutes.
- The shifts have sent the value of content watched live much higher, particularly sports content.
- In a bit of good news for iTunes, smartphone users spent almost 10 hours more per month using apps and browsing the Web than last year.
- Most social-media sites have seen their PC audiences sink, with the exception of LinkedIn, Nielsen finds. LinkedIn saw a 37 percent jump in its unique audience to 39 million.
- Facebook and its Instagram unit dominated social media in terms of unique audience on smartphones, Nielsen found. The two social-media brands had a unique app-based audience of 144 million combined.
- Facebook grew 39 percent, while Instagram jumped 79 percent.
- Twitter, the next-closest competitor, grew by a much smaller percentage, Nielsen found. It increased by 38 percent, to 31 million.
- Americans spent 7 hours, 43 minutes a month on Facebook checking out baby photos, remembering dead relatives and photographing their meals, according to the report.
- They spent 3 hours on Twitter, doing such things as sharing complaints about bad service