Streaming services accounted for almost two hours a day, while social media was second with one hour and 46 minutes a day. YouTube, video games and television channels rounded out the top five.

The data, which is from Ampere Analysis’ Attention Economy study, showed media diets also differed by age, with Generation Alpha leaning towards YouTube and gaming, Gen Z on social media and music services, while older generations leaned more towards streaming services, television channels and live sports.

Consumers built their media preferences around their mood, with streaming used for immersion and relaxation, YouTube for discovery and lifting mood, while social media was to alleviate boredom or to provide distraction.

The data is based on an online survey of 2,000 consumers in the UK and US, featuring 1,000 people per market and representative of consumers aged 11 to 64. 

Sam Nursall, research manager at Ampere Analysis, said: “Today’s consumers have more varied media diets than ever before, selecting from an expanding menu of media depending on what they want in the moment.

“Whether they’re looking to relax, discover something new or simply fill spare time, each medium serves a different purpose. That’s today’s attention economy. For advertisers and broadcasters, understanding those different moments is just as important as understanding the audience itself.”