• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, May 22, 2017

Moms in the United States now spend more time each day on the Internet than listening to the radio or watching television, according to a recent report from Edison Research and Triton Digital, by Melissa DeCesare, VP Edison Research. The report is based on data from a survey of 284 women in the United States with at least one child age 18 or younger living in their household, and summarized in the words of Ms. DeCesare.

Moms in 2017 continue to benefit from modern media and technology, making heavy consumption part of their daily routine. In the latest edition of Moms and Media, the Internet takes the biggest piece of a mom’s daily media pie. On average, moms spend three hours and thirtyone minutes using the Internet in a 24-hour period, surpassing time spent with TV and radio.

• Hours Spent With Media In The Last 24 Hours (HH:MM)
  • Listening to Radio   1:44
  • Watching Television           2:18
  • Using the Internet    3:31

Source: Edison Research, May 2017

A major factor of that high Internet consumption is the adoption of the smartphone, allowing moms access any time of day.  Smartphone ownership is still rising among moms, showing even more gains in this year’s report. Compared to the total sample, in 2017, 86% of moms own a smartphone.

For moms with Internet access at home, 55% said they access the Internet most using their cell phone.   In 2017, the gap between computer and cell phone is even wider than last year, with the smartphone showing its impact.

Not only did Moms and Media 2017 highlight the power of the smartphone, says the report, but the data also reflects the continuing commitment that moms have to social media. This year, 93% of moms use some social networking site or service, up from 88% last year and consistently rising. 

Mom’s Use Of Social Networking or Service

• Year    Website Network or Service
• 2013   73%
• 2014   78
• 2015   86
• 2016   88
• 2017   93

Source: Edison Research, May 2017

The opportunity to engage with social media is fully recognized by moms, with 62% of social networking moms checking those sites several times per day, a steady increase each year since 2008, says the report.

Social Media Moms Use Of Social Networking

• Year    Use Several Times Daily
• 2017   62%
• 2015   54
• 2013   47
• 2011   37
• 2009   18

Source: Edison Research, May 2017

Concluding summary according to the report, “Moms & Media 2017”

• Mom is highly accessible: Just about every mom is cell phone equipped
• Mom is readily available to engage: Smartphone ownership is huge; Smartphones are the preferred mobile device
• Be creative with new media to reach Mom: Podcasts take up some of Mom’s time; Mom chooses ‘on-demand’ services like YouTube and Netflix
• Mom is loyal to Facebook, but not exclusive: Snapchat is getting attention

For the full Moms and Media 2017 report, please visit here.