We’re Spending More Time Online
than Ever Before

Posted: April 1st, 2011

In a recent annual report by Forrester Research detailing the online and offline media consumption habits of Americans, it was revealed that the internet has now caught up to television in terms of viewing time. Despite TV watching actually increasing 5% over the past 5 years, the internet has pulled even thanks to a gargantuan 121% increase over that same time span.

This rise in spent on the internet is not just relegated to the younger generation either. While it’s true that younger users actually use the internet more often than they watch TV, adults and young boomers are also using the internet just as much as they are watching TV.

There are several factors driving this explosive growth in internet usage. The first is probably the fact that broadband connections are now in 30% more homes than they were 5 years ago, which certainly lends to a more speedy, and thus enjoyable, online experience. Computer technology has also gotten much cheaper and more powerful, allowing us to do many things online at once, and run many programs with nary a hitch in performance.

As far as internet activities go, there are several notable areas eating up more of our time. Unsurprisingly, social networking has seen a large increase, with more than twice as many people engaging in it than they did just 3 years ago. The wheels of commerce are also turning faster than ever before online, as 23% more people shop online now as opposed to 3 years ago.

The power and reach of the internet is still just revealing itself, and it will be fun to see where things head in the years to come. This trend will surely continue, as more and more people spend time online and connect to friends and family, and the world at large, through their computer screens and mobile devices.

Dave,

Softarama team.

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