Young Media Consumers Spend More Time With Online Video, Gaming, Social Media, Less With TV, Movies

Young media consumers continue to spend more time with online video, gaming and social media, and less time with traditional screen-based TV series and movies, according to a new study from Hub Entertainment Research.

Nearly 60% of the “screen-based leisure time” for 13- to-24-year-old viewers comes from gaming (25%), online videos (19%) and social media (13%).

For those ages 35 and older, gaming, online videos, and social media come in at a total of 28% -- 11% for gaming, 10% for online video and 7% for social media.

TV and movie consumption comprise only 25% of screen time for 13- to-24-year-olds, versus those 35 and older, where the percentage is 60%.

Looking more broadly across all media consumers, Hub says, online video, gaming and social usage usage is up 37% in 2021, versus 32% in 2020.

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Traditional TV/movie consumption is at 48% in 2021 down from 53% in 2020.

Hub says 13- to-24-year-olds watch almost as much online video as traditional TV -- 13.7 average hours per week (online), and 15.3 average hours per week (TV), due to the variety of screen options for young media consumers. Fifty one percent of those 13-24 point to this.

“The million-dollar question is whether today’s young consumers will always prioritize non-traditional content — or whether they’ll start to resemble older consumers as they grow older,” says Peter Fondulas, Hub principal and co-author of the study, in a release.

“Our prediction is that their behaviors are so ingrained that non-traditional content will always be a significant part of their entertainment consumption.”

The research was conducted among 2,179 US consumers ages 13-74, who watch at least one hour of TV per week and have broadband service.

The data was collected in December 2021.

2 comments about "Young Media Consumers Spend More Time With Online Video, Gaming, Social Media, Less With TV, Movies".
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  1. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, February 8, 2022 at 12:12 p.m.

    Wayen, by the time that today's youngsters become  more sedentary, more home bound oldsters what is now called "traditional TV" content will dominate streaming and, probably,  whatever replaces it, so these now, heavy viewing 65-year-old people will watch "TV" on whatever platforms are available. To them, it will be "TV" even much of it is no longer obtained via cable or satellite distribution. 

  2. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, February 8, 2022 at 12:26 p.m.

    Oooops! Sorry I spelled your name wrong---Wayne.

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