Fifty percent of device screen time is spent on entertainment such as playing games, reading books, watching live TV or listening to music/radio, according to a recent survey by Gartner.
The results, which represent 726 tablet owners from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, revealed that entertainment outdoes other activities by a significant margin – 24% ahead of communication (emails, messaging, social media), 35% ahead of production (editing video, blogging) and 41% of finding information.
“Of the different types of activity, people spend by far the most time on entertainment, and people often use several devices at once, so it seems we are turning into a society of multitasking, multiscreen users,” said Meike Escherich, principal research analyst at Gartner.
“Tablet users, for example, continue to use tablets most in the evening, between 7pm and 10pm. This suggests the use of tablets as companions to television viewing and other living-room activities. Smartphones are used more for ad hoc research or quick sessions on social media websites while on the move or engaged in another screen activity.”
The survey also found that owners of Apple and Samsung tablets spend more time – around 30 minutes extra each day – on entertainment than owners of other brands. Apple tablet owners use their iPads most often and over 80% of them use their device ten or more times a day.
Tablet purchases in mature markets increased by 76% in 2012, which Escherich said shows now signs of abating.
