Study: Americans Continue To Spend More Time With Media.

Americans continue to spend more time with various forms of media than before the COVID-19 pandemic. While, time spent with media has levelled-off from the peak stay-at-home period in 2020, it remains high, according to Mindshare’s ongoing tracking study.

The latest wave of the study, the 21st, shows that half of Americans say they are using online media more than they did prior to the pandemic. The self-reported data shows that consumers continue to perceive their overall media usage as expanding, MediaPost reports.

Ahead of the pandemic in March 2020, 15% of respondents reported spending more time with radio. In June 2020, at the height of stay-at-home mandates, the number peaked at 27%. In the latest poll, 22% say they continue to spend more time with the medium.

Time spent with podcasts remains near the 28% June 2020 peak. In September 2021, 25% of respondents say they are spending more time listening to podcasts. Prior to the pandemic, 13% self-reported spending more time with podcasts.

In the latest poll, 51% of Americans say they are spending more time online, which is the highest number since the study has been underway. Prior to the pandemic, 24% said they spend more time online. In June 2020 that number was 50%.

Online has the highest percentage of people reporting more spent time with it in the latest poll, followed by streaming TV (45%); watching movies at home (44%); using phone apps (43%); social media (40%); binge watching (38%); live TV (37%); podcasts (25%); and radio (22%).