• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 3, 2013

The average American consumes nearly 60 hours of content weekly across TV, radio, online and mobile devices, per a Nielsen study released Tuesday, which focuses on cross-channel campaign strategies and reveals that a growing number of mid-life consumers access the Internet and media from mobile devices.

The Nielsen Company report -- "A Look Across Media" -- found that consumers spend on average 5.1 hours weekly accessing the Internet on a computer, about 1.5 hours watching video online, and 1.3 hours watching video on mobile devices. Game consoles also take 1.5 hours of time, followed by DVD/Blu-Ray at 1.3 hours.

Home media online use varies by demographic. When it comes to online media use on PCs, about 20.2% of consumers are between 45 and 54 years of age, followed by ages 35-44 at 19.3%, 25 to 35 at 18.7%, 65+ at 13.4%, and 18-24 at 12.2%.

Mobile media use attracts 45- to-64-year-old consumers the most, according to Nielsen. The age group between 45 and 54 makes up 18.7%; followed by 55 to 64 at 18.6%; 25 to 34 at 17.3%; 35 to 44 at 17.2%; 65 and older at 15.3; and 18 to 24 at 12.8%.

The study suggests that radio reaches consumers outside the home when they are ready to shop and buy, but it won't reach all demographics and ethnic groups. Marketers that want to reach Asian consumers, for example, must turn to the Internet and mobile. This demographic spends about 37 hours monthly on the Internet, nearly 12 hours watching video online, and six hours watching video on a mobile device, per the study. 

While Asians will spend nearly 94 hours monthly watching traditional TV, this market segment spends zero time listening to traditional broadcast radio.

African-Americans, on the other hand, spend about 30 hours on the Internet via computer, but 211 hours watching traditional TV and 62 hours listening to the radio, whereas Hispanics spend 24 hours on the Internet monthly, 127 hours watching traditional TV, and 60 hours listening to broadcast radio.

"Cloud Computing" photo from Shutterstock.