• by Wayne Friedman , January 6, 2016

In its third-quarter media report, Nielsen says 156 million adult consumers engaged in social networking on a smartphone alone for an average week in the third quarter of 2015 -- about 65% of the U.S. population. This amounts to a 13% increase from the same period of a year ago.

When looking at just tablets, social networking platforms reach about 58 million U.S. adults weekly — nearly a quarter of American adults -- up 21% from the third quarter of a year ago.

Losing ground is social media activity on PCs -- down 16% to 73.4 million adults 18 years and older, now at 31% of the U.S. population.

Traditional media such as television and radio still have the biggest reach in the U.S. AM/FM radio reaching over 90% of all adults in a given week; TV at 85%. Consumers are connecting to radio and TV frequently, typically tuning in to TV and radio more than five days a week.

Smartphones and tablets can be found in 78% and 54% of homes respectively, according to Nielsen’s recent report.