Musings

If you’re like me, you use your smart device (phone, tablet, etc.) all day apart from the hours that you sleep (let’s say 6-8 hours per night). Unless you’re using your device while you sleep (sleep-phoning?), then you’re the exception. But, did you ever stop to think how much media you’re actually consuming? How many seconds, minutes, even hours per day you’re wasting that could be spent on something else?

What if I told you our daily minutes interacting with media is catching up to the total hours we’re awake? Think about it. As startling as that may seem, with the Internet (and millions of apps) literally at our fingertips, the ease of media access in unlike any other. In fact, according to Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at Publicis’ Zenith unit, the total time people spend consuming media continues to grow and will max out around total awake time.

With new technologies, especially 5G connectivity and Internet of Things connected devices, Barnard predicts the upper limit of media consumption will only be limited by sleep.

Currently, the average American’s non-sleeping day is about 912 minutes, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Zenith’s new forecast estimates the average American will spend 636.6 minutes daily with media this year, or about 70% of the time we are awake. Over the next two years, Barnard forecasts we will add another 13 minutes per day consuming media.

                                                                                     - Joe Mandese, MediaPost

My iPhone X is my lifeline; so much so that if it were to reset in the middle of the night, I’m not waking up for work the next day. It’s an all access point to the people and tasks in my life, as well as to instant media and real-time updates. In that regard, I’m a bit guilty of overconsumption. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but imagine how much you or I could get done with less screen time. I’m saying we should be more mindful of the time we spend on our devices and use them more as tools than the only source of engagement. Instead, setting aside even half of that time to be with family, friends, and pets could be surprisingly worthwhile. I’m sure there’s an app to help you do that (insert wink emoji here).