According to mobile analytics company Flurry, you guys are buried in your devices – all the time. In fact, the time when mobile apps become the predominant form of media entertainment could be sooner rather than later.
According to Flurry, the amount of time U.S. consumers spent inside mobile apps in December 2012 beat the amount of time spent in December 2011 by a whopping 35% (127 minutes a day from 94 minutes a day). That mobile app usage cut into web usage a little bit (2%, year-over-year). They project that TV viewing stayed flat year-over-year.
If you’re wondering how Flurry obtained their TV viewing data:
“This time around, we add time spent on television using data released by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2010 and 2011. Note that the bureau hasn’t yet released their 2012 numbers, but given the maturity of the TV market, we assume that time spent on TV is flat year-over-year.”
Assuming they’re correct, mobile app usage is gaining on TV – and fast. If the current trend continues, mobile app usage will likely run up on TV viewing by the end of 2013 or beginning of 2014.
“The chart also shows that time spent in apps already totals 76% of time spent on television. With new content released via thousands of new apps each day, we expect this trend to continue. In fact, we ultimately expect apps on tablets and smartphones to challenge broadcast television as the dominant channel for media consumption. Compared to the 60-year-old television industry, apps are just over 4 years old. In particular, tablets will drive growth in app consumption in 2013 as TV-style content and major programming moves to the tablet. Most TV Networks have already adjusted to a dual screen world and are synchronizing their TV content with their tablet app content. We believe that, with the introduction of connected TVs, TV shows will behave like apps,” says Flurry.
If you’re curious as to what Americans are doing with all that time spent using apps, 80% of the app use is defined as social networking and entertainment.
