New research has discovered that this year, American adults will spend more time watching digital media such as YouTube, TikTok and streaming services like Netflix than traditional television.
Insider Intelligence reported the findings in a press statement, confirming that in 2022, the time that American adults spent watching digital media almost equalled the time spent watching television. Last year, digital video was consumed for an average of three hours and two minutes a day, whereas television totalled three hours and seven minutes.
The most popular streaming services are Netflix and YouTube, with the average American watching at least 33 minutes of one or the other. Thus, digital media is set to overtake television this year, with the latter’s figures set to drop to two hours and 55 minutes of daily consumption. The time spent watching digital media will rise to three hours and 11 minutes.
For the first time, digital viewing statistics will rise above television, a trend that is only predicted to increase. Since 2013, the average daily minutes of television watched have dropped each year, apart from in 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns led to a temporary rise in television consumption.
The recent trend of streaming services such as Apple TV+ and YouTube broadcasting live sports has led to a decline in traditional linear television consumption. Moreover, adults have been increasingly drawn to social media platforms like TikTok, with the research expecting users to consume an average of 56 minutes daily. According to Insider analyst Jasmine Enberg, “TikTok versus Netflix will be a major trend to watch this year. The lines between social and entertainment have blurred, and TikTok is now coming for the bigger-screen video players.”
By the end of 2023, Americans are expected to spend 52% of their viewing time on digital video. Another analyst at Insider, Paul Verna, claimed, “This milestone is driven by people spending more and more time watching video on their biggest and smallest screens, whether it’s an immersive drama on a connected TV or a viral clip on a smartphone.”
