Downward Mobility: Growth Declining As Mobile Time Spent Reaches Saturation

Apparently, media are not immune to the laws of physics -- even mobile devices, which are approaching a point of saturation in terms of consumer time spent. While the rate continues to expand, there has been a “considerable slowdown,” according to new estimates released this morning by the digital media stats masters at eMarketer.

The new forecast finds the growth rate peaked in 2012 and has been slowing down ever since.

“In 2016, growth of time spent on mobile will fall into the single digits, with U.S. adults spending an average of three hours and 8 minutes per day on mobile devices, excluding voice activities,” the report reads, noting a large majority of American adults are already using mobile devices and that time spent growth rate is ebbing due to a slower rate of new users.

“Also, the number of activities currently possible on mobile devices limits the amount of time a user can spend per day,” eMarketer Forecaster Monica Peart explains in the report.

Much of the growth in mobile time spent, the report projects, will come from people spending more time within apps.

“In 2015, U.S. smartphone and tablet users will spend an average of three hours and 5 minutes a day using mobile apps, up from two hours 51 minutes in 2014,” according to the forecast. “By 2016, mobile device users will spend three hours 15 minutes per day using apps. Time spent on mobile browser activities will hold steady at 51 minutes this year and next.”
1 comment about "Downward Mobility: Growth Declining As Mobile Time Spent Reaches Saturation".
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  1. Kevin Horne from Verizon, October 23, 2015 at 12:33 a.m.
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