Findings of new research released June 3rd by Knowledge Networks, through their MultiMedia Mentor service, indicate that heavy users of social or mobile media spend dramatically more time with overall media, and are more likely to use TV and the Internet simultaneously, as reported by MediaPost.
The study concluded that the impact of social and mobile media was most pronounced among older adults (people age 35 to 64) and while this impact could also be seen among younger adults (age 18 to 34) it was not as pronounced. Older adults who use social and mobile media spent a much greater amount of time per day (2 hours 20 min for social users, 2 hours 55 min for mobile users) using overall media than the general population.
“For young adults, cell phones and the Internet are often a way of life – so their use of mobile and social media is more pervasive and natural,” stated Robert DeFelice, vice president-client service at Knowledge Networks. “But older adults have come to digital media late in the game – so there is a more pronounced divide between those who make extensive use of digital media and those who just dabble. We also see that these digital media users are more likely to be ‘creating’ media time by using TV and the Internet simultaneously – which, of course, creates a host of opportunities for synergy between these two platforms.”
The study also notes that while heavy media users in both age ranges use television for the same amount of time as the general population, their use of the Internet is significantly higher (1.5 hours per day for ages 18-34, nearly 2 hours per day for ages 35-64).
