Heavy usage of one of the top 3 media (by reach) does not necessarily mean that less time is spent with the other media, according to [download page] results from an Edison Research and Arbitron study. The study looks at self-reported average time per day spent with the internet, TV, and radio, sorting the results by heavy users of each. Heavy internet users (4+ hours per day) report spending more than 7 hours per day on the internet – but the amount of time they spend watching TV (3:35 vs. 3:33) and listening to the radio (2:07 vs. 2:04) is on par with the general population.
The same is true for heavy TV users (5+ hours per day). These viewers report watching a whopping 8 hours and 16 minutes per day of TV, on average, but also report spending more time on the internet (2:52 vs. 2:38) and listening to the radio (2:12 vs. 2:04) than the average American aged 12 and up.
Finally, heavy radio users (3+ hours per day) report spending almost 6-and-a-half hours per day listening to the radio. Compared to the general population, they spend almost as much time watching TV (3:31 vs. 3:33) and about 20 minutes more on the internet (3:00 vs. 2:38).
Separately, the study finds that 256 million Americans aged 12 and up watch TV (up from 230 million a decade ago), while 243 million listen to the radio (up from 223 million) and 232 million go online (up from 178 million). The average time spent with those 3 media today is 8 hours and 15 minutes, up more than an hour from 7 hours and 3 minutes a decade ago.
About the Data: In January/February 2013, Arbitron and Edison Research conducted a national telephone survey offered in both English and Spanish language (landline and cell phone) of 2,021 people aged 12 and older. Data were weighted to national 12+ population figures.
