Time spent on internet up 38% in two years

The latest IPA TouchPoints Survey on media usage shows the time people spend on the internet has increased by 38% in the past two years.
Television remains the dominant medium for all adults, the survey says. People watch 3.7 hours of television per day, listen to the radio for 2.1 hours and access the internet for 1.8 hours per day and 37% of adults claim to social network each week.
In contrast, the time spent writing to someone on paper has fallen to just 1% of communication time.
The survey also says about the same number of adults use a mobile phone (57%) as read a newspaper (59%) each week and for a similar amount of time.

Other findings are:
• Only minor changes in the levels of television viewing (-5%), radio listening (+1%) and reading (-5%) have been recorded since 2008. Any marginal decline in consuming each medium through traditional means have been more than compensated for by the growth in their consumption through their digital platforms.

• The only medium to record a significant increase in audience is online, with hours spent using the internet on an average day up from 1.3 to 1.8 hours — a 38% increase.

• The number of adults using more than one medium in any half-hourly period has increased from 74% to 75%; for 15-24s the growth has been from 75% to 78%.

• For 15-24s, television is still the largest overall medium (97% weekly reach/2.6 average daily hours) but internet use (96%/2.3hrs) is a very close second, whilst the time spent reading newspapers and magazines falls in comparison to all adults.

• The BBC continues to be the dominant supplier of media to the British public. It reaches 98% of all adults with at least one of its television, radio, online and magazine properties. In comparison, Sky only reaches about half that number.