“With limited hours in a day, consumers seek out ways to maximize the value of their time,” said Bob Cohen, president of Scarborough Research. “An opportunity exists for broadcast media who choose to offer more frequent programming that makes use of both the online environment as well as their traditional media.”
Declines in consumption of other media were also registered including magazine reading which has dropped by 20%, newspaper readership (15%) and radio listening (9%). Whilst a small number of those surveyed revealed that they now consume more media, the majority claimed that connection to the internet had not discernably altered their consumption of traditional media.
45% of internet users said they had read an online newspaper in the past 30 days while 55% of online newspaper readers had logged on to a national newspaper web site, online readers tended to be younger (41% between the ages of 18-34) than traditional daily newspaper readership (where 23% are between the ages of 18-34) allowing online editions of newspapers to cater to a younger audience.
“While the majority of online users report no change in their traditional media habits, the fact that substantial percentages of people report altered behavior is evidence to the continuing evolution of consumer habits,” said Cohen “In a relatively short period of time, Americans have adopted new ways of getting their news, doing their shopping and seeking entertainment. The appeal of online media will continue to grow as more American adults gain Internet access at home, at work or through portable devices.”
