From eMarketer (via Dear Author) a short but meaty–and fascinating–examination of time “consumers spend with all major media, regardless of multitasking or simultaneous usage, from 2008 to 2010.”
Bottom line, here’s how we (I’m assuming US consumers) spend our major media time:
TV/video: 4 hrs 24 mins
online: 2 hrs 35 mins
radio:
mobile: 50 mins
The percentage of the time we spent with TV/video is about the same over the three years surveyed, but mobile use is increasing rapidly (and is more than the view/consumption of newspapers and magazines combined). I’m sure it will surprise no one to discover that digital media use is accelerating at the expense of everything else.
I shouldn’t be surprised, but was, to find that we spend around 11 hrs a day with our heads stuck in media world.
I’m astonished we’re still mostly sane.
Or are we?
I feel a sudden and urgent need to go to the park…
Nicola Griffith 
Don't forget to bring your i-thing with you :)
The only use for my iThing in the park is crapcam and, well, it's crap :)
Who's average? We have a tv that has been on for exactly 90 minutes in the last three days (watching a dvd), I spend an inordinate amount of time online on days when I am doing research, I usually listen to public radio (CBC) for about an hour a day (while doing other things), and I spend 0 minutes on my mobile most days. My students, otoh, seem to spend their entire time tap-tap-tapping on various types of text messaging gadget. I still have to figure out how to get them not to do that in class, especially when other students are presenting — it's bloody rude!
We're all above average :)
As for the students, with mine I say: put it down or leave. I can't abide inattention.
I'm obviously dragging the average down. I don't have a cell / mobile and I rarely watch 3 hours of TV a night (none tonight, for example). The online time I won't quibble with.
Wendy / Nicola — How do you tell whether students are texting their friends or simply taking notes?