Commentary
UK Hits Media Saturation Point -- What Next?
- by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, May 1, 2018
We must have all secretly wondered when people would see or read enough stuff -- when they have consumed enough content and have room for no more.
Well, according to eMarketer's latest research out today, that time has arrived. Media consumption will plateau this year, it claims, and that is …
Sean Hargrave is MediaPost's London Editor. You can reach him at seanhargrave@btinternet.com.
Not to worry, Sean. The "audience" numbers that are the basis for this analysis are inflated and do not present a true picture of the time people actually spend with the media---mainly electronic media. What is being reported is device usage---meaning that, according to some panel, the TV set is on or the PC is activated----not whether the human "audience" is even present at a given moment let alone whether it is paying any attention. In such research, "viewing" and/or "listening" is assumed on a per minute basis, but it is not actually measured. Our own estimate is that a typical adult is fully attentive to about six hours of media per day and even this may not tell the entire story, particularly where ad exposure is concerned. Those who want more information on this and many other cross media comparisons can find it all covered in our annual, "Intermedia Dindesions 2018"