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When it comes to where US Internet users are spending the most time MySpace is the leader. The social networking site accounted for 12 percent of all time spent online in December 2006, according to Compete Inc.

The firm's December 2006 study found that users spent more time at MySpace than other popular sites such as Google, eBay and YouTube. Yahoo was the runner-up to MySpace accounting for 8.5 percent of time spent online by US Internet users.

The third spot was a tie between msn and eBay with US Internet users spending 3.7 percent of their time on the sites.

The amount of time spent at MySpace results from users leaving the site open during the day to see when new emails arrive. The multitasking is prevalent among teen users, says Debra Aho Williamson, eMartketer senior analyst and author of the new Multitasking Consumers: Distracted or Connected? report.

"Several of the sites on the Compete list could easily be used simultaneously: MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and AIM all appeal to the younger generation of Internet users, and this group is also most likely to multitask when online," says Ms. Williamson.

The younger generation is not the only ones who multitask. Over 80 percent of the time that US adults are emailing, instant-messaging or using the Internet, they are also involved in some other activity according to Ball State University's Center for Media Design.

According to a study by Veronis Suhler Stevenson, the number of hours spent on the Internet has doubled since 2000; while the number of hours spent watching television has increased only 6 percent in the same time period. Marketers worry that the Internet is taking consumers farther away from their message. This is true to some degree but the issue remains of capturing viewer's undivided attention.

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Mike is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.