Americans are spending more than half of their day consuming media; according to a recent report from eMarketer.
The average time that Americans are spending on their consumption of media has increased slightly since last year, where it was estimated that the average was somewhere around 10.8 hours per day. The average now is seen to be at least 12 hours every day spent consuming media.
The number of hours that children are spending on their consumption of media has also increased dramatically over the last few years. It's estimated that kids 8 years old or younger now, spend roughly 2 hours every day consuming media. The rates for children have tripled in the last four years.
And the main focus of that media consumption? Smartphones.
The time that people are spending on their smartphones has been seen to be increasing steadily. Previous surveys have suggested that roughly 98 percent of households with children who are 8 years old or younger, have smartphones in the home.
Technology today makes it very easy for us to consume media from just about anywhere that we want to go and that makes it a lot easier for us to increase that consumption time when we're just going about our daily business.
Thoughtful Consumption...
Researchers have previously suggested that increased smartphone activity might be linked to depression, anxiety, and unhappiness. Estimating that if you spend between 6-9 hours every week on social media that you could be about 47 percent more likely to be unhappy, compared with those who use it less frequently.
However, not everyone is going to find that they see the same results with excessive amounts of screen time and media consumption of course.
For some it might foster depression and anxiety, yet for others they might find that it only improves their quality of life; proving to be a helpful and useful tool. It's clear that the trend has been growing, and that the average time that we spend consuming media today is slowly increasing to the point where we are spending 300+ hours every month on that media consumption.
At the moment, Snapchat and Instagram are said to be the most popular platforms for teens today when it comes to consuming media, according to a recent study. And those sites are followed by Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. According to Statista, Facebook is still regarded as the most popular social media platform for now (see chart below).
And when it comes to YouTube, Americans are watching millions of hours of content every year.
Cisco Forecast previously estimated that in 2017, that video content would account for roughly 69 percent of all consumer-based internet traffic. But video content isn't the only thing that viewers are interested in these days and that was made pretty clear after several well-known sites altered their strategy opting for a lot more video only to see their viewers dramatically fall. Consumers still want a mix of both.
We are incredibly privileged with all that technology has to offer us today; it's helped to improve our lives in many ways. Yet, for many it has also posed a risk of fostering dependence and possibly contributing to some negative and unwanted side effects like anxiety or depression. The tool itself shouldn't be blamed though. When we allow ourselves to become a slave to the tool then that is when we put ourselves at risk of starting to foster those sorts of negative results in our lives.
No doubt there are many who, when they reach the latter years of life, won't want to be harboring regret for all of the hours that they didn't spend doing something more enjoyable than watching endless videos on Youtube or chatting with friends over Facebook. Though, we can't judge all media consumption the same, can we? Much might be mindless but surely not all. It's up to the individual to decide what brings them value in their life.
Pics:
Dreamstime/Vocativ via vocativ.com/279756/sorry-americans-but-your-smartphone-is-a-little-on-the-slow-side/index.html
Simpsons via Giphy
Giphy
Southpark via Giphy
Statista via Business Insider
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/19/health/children-smartphone-tablet-use-report/index.html
http://marketrealist.com/2017/10/american-adults-spending-half-day-media/
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2017/10/10/smartphones-harms-should-not-be-ignored
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/magazine/why-are-more-american-teenagers-than-ever-suffering-from-severe-anxiety.html
https://qz.com/1103166/american-kids-daily-mobile-screen-time-is-almost-10-times-higher-than-it-was-in-2011/
https://smallbiztrends.com/2017/10/teens-like-snapchat-the-most.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sirenabergman/2017/02/28/we-spend-a-billion-hours-a-day-on-youtube-more-than-netflix-and-facebook-video-combined/#3d3099405ebd
http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-dominates-most-popular-social-media-apps-chart-2017-7
Wow, it wouldn't surprise me. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing my life because I'm constantly reading articles or discussion boards or curating Steemit posts. IT can't be healthy!
Just an add on. The chart representing the social media landscape is fascinating as 4 of the top 5 companies are owned by Facebook - Facebook, Whatsapp, Messenger, Instagram.
Scary thought.
You have had a little too much to think!!! ~ Mark Zuckerberg (probably)
For some people it's work. They make a living on those social media. You are one of them?
No, I have a full time job. I don't think i spend 12 hrs a day on social media but I do spend a lot of time reading Steemit articles though.
Ok, then it's problem. What do you read? I barely can find something good.
As long as you do some exercise it should be fine no?
:-) I'm consuming you media here on Saturday morning at morning and it's hot today
@doitvoluntarily, important issue about smart phone uses and misuse,very sorry to say the ratio of misusing smart phone by childern is alarming and critical situation..
How exactly is "consuming media" defined? Does it include all time with eyes on a monitor? If so, at work a lot of us are using Excel, Acrobat, Word, etc. interspersed with Steeming and FaceBroke.
The most depressing part of this article is I would hit these numbers with all the youtube videos I watch about cryptos.
This is why I stick to Steemit. Information on here, for the most part, is valuable and you get rewarded for your time.
@doitvoluntarily Great post!!! With every new technology there are pros and cons. We should try to promote more interactive activities, that inspire creative thinking and innovation.
This explains everything.
Very informative article. Also, good search engine optimization there, with all of the cross-links. ;)
I’m not sure YouTube is much different than the hours of broadcast tv millions have been consuming for decades. And while all media can’t be judged the same, what’s this mean for my Steemit addiction?
good point! 😊 YouTube soon to surpass the 📺 👍 🔥
http://fortune.com/2017/02/28/youtube-1-billion-hours-television/
Great writeup. "The rates for children have tripled in the last four years." SAD
You're right it is pretty sad! Following you. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Smartphones are our new addiction! We will have to start support groups soon!
is may be good for the children in some aspects and bad in some aspects
good informative post thank you for sharing
Nice post.
Thank You
I mean Thank you to @doitvoluntarily
lol! :)
Your most welcome
wow nice really super post.i like it
Its a timely post to open our minds to where our children are heading. Personally i used to let my kid play / watch things online with my tablet so that it allowed me to do my work. But recently i stopped it after seeing results of few studies, showing that it can depress the congnitive development of kids.
After all its our children we have to give some time for them.
Also for adults consuming more media at one time or multitasking is found to reduce their ability to concentrate.
I completely agree, I think that it is kind of sad that on how many hours people spend looking that the media weather it be tv or a phone. I find it funny how many people seem to live completely different lives on Facebook or whatever.
well done plz also upvote my post
This post states a lot of good facts about social media use. There is only so much time in the day and to use it this way is very dangerous on the mind and physical health of anybody. That is if a person neglect their personal duties. You can perform multiple things and still include social media into those activities !
That makes sense. Folks are addicted to media and being programmed and shaped by it. They are allowing it to make the thinking decisions for them. I know of someone who spends sun up to sun down on Facebook. It is sad. I suppose many of us are addicted to Steemit though so we are in no position to talk. LOL. Great article. Thanks for sharing.
Congrats you see them. :) nice post.. you living your life to the fullest. i want to see more of your post. done following
I believe as long as it's good media, empowering, motivating, knowledgeable and relevant, then that could be a good thing for some of us!
Funny!! Good post
Post yang bagus.......
Up vote aku dan follow ya kawan,
Thank you for sharing
It's really sad when you get onto a public bus and literally 99% of people are just starring in their smartphones. When somebody elderly or pregnant enters, most of the others are even so unaware that they won't even offer them their sitting place. This makes me so sad sometimes.
Yeah it can be sad. You're probably more sensitive to it too since you are in the medical field. Following you. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Hm maybe - However the friends my age also feel the same. But nearly all 12year and above kids are at their smartphones every open second.
Cool makes sense! What do you do?
Nearly finished with human medicine at university ;) Then travelling, then working, maybe pediatrician!
Cool why pediatrician?
I like to work with kids :)
Regret can be a terrible thing! How do they define media, just curious?
I was just starting to think i have a problem with media addiction between youtube, netfilx, video games, social media, podcasts im on this shit all day
Doitvoluntarily, this is a global,phenomenon. As robots and AI replace the himan Labor work Force for the the good and services we need to survive, how to placate idle humans. Content and Leisure industries are going to flourish as we move into this technology enable world.
I've filled many such surveys for money. So happy to see them in action for once.
We're a society of what I call "entertainment geniuses". The word genius doesnt inherent denote a good thing in this case.
This is so true in our country too. We are all addicted to gadgets now as compared to a decade before. Technology is good but not so if we all are over dependent on it. With the onset of company like jio, people are addicted like never before and it ultimately benefits ad companies, their clients and health practitioners
Man people are crazy obsessed with social media. Half of those in the chart I have not heard of before. I'm amazed that Instagram is so popular. I have Instagram but it gets boring pretty quickly. I have never used Snapchat, my sister likes it. I have never heard of WhatsApp and that is second behind Facebook, I should probably google it. Thanks for this interesting but somewhat troubling post @doitvoluntarily.
This is so true in our country too. We are all addicted to gadgets now as compared to a decade before. Technology is good but not so if we all are over dependent on it. With the onset of company like jio, people are addicted like never before and it ultimately benefits ad companies, their clients and health practitioners
Truly excessive, we must keep children away from TV, all programs have a high content of anti-values and moral degradation. The culture is going to hell, we have to stop this, television and the media are not contributing anything, do not provide information but disinformation, do not create values but degradation, do not contribute knowledge but ignorance, worship excesses and vices. It is not that I am a saint, but it is really disturbing to see the adolescents of today in the moral and intellectual condition in which they are.
Its not just america,its britain as well ,you can't go on a bus or stand in a queue without someone dumb asshole away in a trance with there phone or have ear plugs on and the scottish are just as dumbed down as the rest.from glasgow.
Wow. Not very good, I wonder how many can actually afford to keep up?