Adults Consume More Media, Smartphone Biggest Gain

Although analysts say U.S. media use is nearing media saturation, total media consumption for the first quarter of 2016 among U.S. adults rose around 10% versus the same period the year before.

Nielsen says adults added one hour of media on average per day to total 10 hours and 39 minutes. This contrasts with a nearly identical media use in the first quarter of 2015 versus 2014 -- 9:39 versus 9:32.

The big gainer for the most recent period was smartphones, rising 37 minutes, up 60% versus the same period a year before. It now totals one hour and 39 minutes a day (1:39) -- the third most-used media.

The biggest media -- live TV -- lost three minutes for a 1% decline, totaling 4 hours and 31 hours a day (4:31). AM/FM radio grew one minute (1%) to 1 hour and 52 minutes (1:52) -- the second-largest media category.

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Other new media continues to grow: Computer Internet use was up 10 minutes, a 21% gain to 58 minutes a day; tablet usage grew 12 minutes, up 63% to 31 minutes a day. Multimedia devices added on four minutes, 44% higher, totaling 13 minutes daily.

Time-shifted TV (DVRs) remained the same at 33 minutes versus the same period a year before. Video game consoles were also the same, at 14 minutes versus last year.

Playing DVDs took the biggest hit, down 11% (one minute) to 8 minutes a day

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