Younger generations have driven the rise in mobile viewing, with those aged 15 to 24 spending nearly five hours a day on their smartphones, according to new data from the IPA.
British adults are spending more time on their mobile phones than in front of the TV for the first time, according to new data.
Average mobile phone use among British adults (aged 15-plus) has more than doubled since 2015, from one hour and 17 minutes to three hours and 21 minutes, according to IPA TouchPoints data. By comparison, British adults watch their TV set for an average of three hours and 16 minutes per day. This has remained relatively stable over the past decade, falling marginally from three hours and 23 minutes in 2015.
The data shows a clear generational divide, with people aged 15 to 24 spending four hours and 49 minutes on their mobile phones and less than two hours (one hour and 49 minutes) in front of a TV. Whereas adults aged 65 to 74 spend four hours and 40 minutes watching TV and just one hour and 47 minutes on their mobile phones.
Overall, British adults now spend an average of seven hours and 27 minutes per day consuming screen-based media, including mobile, TV, laptops, tablets and games consoles. This is up from six hours and 36 minutes in 2015.
The data doesn’t just confirm that mobile is now the dominant screen in our lives, it also underscores how rapidly our media habits are evolving.
Denise Turner, IPA
Dan Flynn, deputy research director at the IPA says this year’s data marks a “milestone in the evolution” of media consumption. “It’s a clear signal of how embedded mobile phones have become in our daily lives – always on, always within reach and increasingly central to how we consume content, connect and unwind,” he adds.
Mobile use remains consistently high from morning until people go to bed, according to the study, supporting the idea smartphones are an “always on” device. By contrast, viewing on other devices is tied to specific time slots. TV set viewing peaks in the evening and computer use aligns with the traditional nine-to-five workday, dropping off after hours.
There is also an emotional component to consider, with 52% of those surveyed more likely to feel relaxed when watching the TV set compared to viewing video on a mobile phone. Conversely, viewers are 55% more likely to report feeling sad when watching video content on a mobile device than on a traditional TV set.
This is something Thinkbox CEO Lindsey Clay is keen to point out. “We watch TVs and use mobile phones for very different reasons. Worrying which gets more time is like worrying if people are flossing their teeth more than playing the piano.”
She adds that time spent on each device is “no proxy for advertising success”.
However, Denise Turner, who joins the IPA as research director at the end of June, says: “The data doesn’t just confirm that mobile is now the dominant screen in our lives, it also underscores how rapidly our media habits are evolving.”
