Juggling Act: Audiences Have More Media at Their Disposal and Are Using Them Simultaneously | Nielsen

Continuous partial attention, TV edition

"According to the most recent Nielsen Total Audience Report, adults in the U.S. spent almost 10 and a half hours a day with media in the second quarter of 2018, even as the effects of seasonality played their typical role. With the vast amount of time Americans spend using their devices throughout the day, it is inevitable that some of this usage is occurring simultaneously. So even though these audiences are dedicating hefty amounts of time to different platforms like live/time-shifted TV (nearly five hours per day), radio (nearly two hours per day), and digital devices (over three and a half hours per day), they’re combining consumption in a multitude of ways.

When looking at the relationship between TV and digital platforms, 45% of respondents watched TV while using digital devices “very often” or “always,” according to a custom survey of Nielsen’s Media Enthusiast Community. Nearly a third reported using both platforms “sometimes,” while only 12% never use both at the same time."

Juggling Act: Audiences Have More Media at Their Disposal and Are Using Them Simultaneously | Nielsen