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.'"

Some people do not even watch TV

[Stregano]

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. Sometimes for free like with Hulu, and sometimes for a small fee like Netflix. Even networks themselves have been catching on and playing episodes of their own shows online. That is how I caught the first episode of Walking Dead is because AMC had it streaming on their website. Some of us have no need for a TV outside of video games. I can catch any news I want through websites that are known to have good sources, television shows through streaming services, and even movies through streaming services. Depending on the movie, I will sometimes just catch a deal on a dvd or blu-ray from whatever website is running the deal. Either way, for many of us, there is no reason to even stare at a TV unless a pc is hooked through to it, we are playing a game, or popping a movie in.

Breakaway year for Internet appliances

[suso]

I think 2010 has obviously been the break away year for Internet appliances like Bluray players with Youtube/Pandora/SocialFoobar built in. If the Internet is ever going to break, it might happen this holiday season with all the extra streaming.

Goodbye Free TV?

[commodore64_love]

Maybe it IS time to get rid of free, antenna-based TV (channels 2-51) and replace it with some kind of free wireless internet service. My only fear is that it won't really be free and end-up costing me ~$25/month.