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Americans spend as much time online as watching TV

By

On December 14, 2010, 7:00 AM

According to Forrester Research, 2010 marked the first year Americans spent as much time on the Internet as they did watching TV. The outfit surveyed some 40,000 people to collect data for its latest Technographics report and found that the average American now spends about 13 hours each week using the Internet and viewing offline TV programs.

That includes consumers aged 45 to 54, who previously spent less time online. For the last few years, people younger than 30 have spent more time online than watching TV, and the same is now true for those aged 31 to 44.


Interestingly, despite the Web's 121% usage increase in the last five years, people have spent around the same amount of time watching TV. However, the Internet is affecting print magazines and newspapers, as well as traditional radio, which are down 18%, 26% and 15% in consumption levels. This shift will undoubtedly continue as Forrester expects that 2 million new households will be connected to the Internet by the end of 2010 compared to last year.

Online shopping and social networking have seen the greatest increase in popularity in recent years, as both have about doubled in activity since 2007. Email remains the most popular online activity, while streaming Internet music/radio and reading blogs ranks as the least popular.

5 comments

User Comments: 5

Got something to say? Post a comment
  1. December 14, 2010 7:53 AM
    Guest said:

    We are moving from a passive state of just reading, listening, watching to an interactive state of searching, selecting, participating.

    Reply
  2. December 14, 2010 8:25 AM
    cardriverx said:

    around another 88 years, and we will be on the internet ALL THE TIME! lol

    Actually, I have a feeling that will happen a lot sooner...

    Reply
  3. December 14, 2010 11:04 AM
    TomSEA
    TomSEA, TechSpot Chancellor, said:

    If it weren't for sports, my TV time would drop down to 2-3 hours per week at most. Like Guest said, at least on the Internet I'm being interactive.

    Reply
  4. December 14, 2010 9:01 PM
    Guest said:

    At least on the internet I don't get forced to watch adds between my shows.

    Reply
  5. December 14, 2010 9:30 PM
    brucethetech said:

    At least on the internet I don't get forced to watch adds between my shows.

    Yeah, I don't like math either.

    Reply

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