Internet Usage Catches Up With Television In US

Hugh Pickens writes "Joshua Brustein writes that, according to a survey by Forrester Research, the amount of time people spend on the Internet has increased 121 percent over the last five years with Americans now spending as much time using the Internet as they are watching television. And while people younger than 30 years old have spent more time with the Internet than television for several years, Forrester's survey shows that this is the first year that people in older age groups are doing so as well. Forrester's survey also shows a significant increase in the number of people using the Internet to watch streaming video with 33 percent of adults surveyed this year saying they use the Internet to watch video, up from 18 percent in 2007. However the rise of the Internet is not necessarily leading to a drop in television consumption because the Internet, and particularly the mobile Internet, simply creates more opportunities for people to consume media, says analyst Jacqueline Anderson with younger viewers increasingly comfortable with the Internet as the place to watch their television. 'For the younger population, the TV is still important, but where they're getting that content from is changing,' says Anderson. 'For the generations that are coming up, that's where we're going to see the cut.'"

Progression ---

[ackthpt]

1940's person has dinner with the radio playing Fibber McGee, Jack Benny or Fred Allen

1970's person has TV dinner, Pizza, etc., while watching Television

2000's person has dinner at their personal computer.

2010's person has dinner at their mobile laptop/device/tablet

FWIW, I stopped watching TV actively about 10 years ago (excepting World Cups) The internet is far more entertaining that TV.

Re:Some people do not even watch TV

[TheRaven64]

Another AOL-style post here. When you watch broadcast TV, someone else is controlling the schedule. You are not the customer, you are the product, and you are being delivered to advertisers. I'd rather pay for my entertainment and have it ad-free and on my own schedule. I no longer own a TV, and find that I enjoy watching television programs a lot more when I get to decide when to watch them and can watch them all of the way through without interruption.

Re:Some people do not even watch TV

[John Hasler]

I am one of the people that does not even watch TV. With stuff like Hulu and even Netflix, there is no need. You can watch all of your shows online.

In other words, you still watch television.

Re:Some people do not even watch TV

[TheRaven64]

It's important to separate the content from the delivery method, because it affects how shows are produced. There is a finite amount of space on television channels. Shows don't get cancelled because they are not profitable, they get cancelled because something else could be more profitable on the same time slot. To be profitable, they need to be able to make enough money from adverts shown during the show to fund the development. In contrast, online distribution is effectively unlimited and viewers can pay directly. Shows don't have to compete for airspace - they can be made available for download when they are finished and distributed in parallel, so as long as they are profitable they can keep being made - if something else would be more profitable then it can be made as well. They can also be directly funded, without relying on adverts, so studios only have to convince the people who like the show that it's worth funding, not an intermediate third party.