For the first time in the history of IPA TouchPoints, mobile overtook television with a daily average use of three hours and 21 minutes – on average five minutes a day longer than the time spent watching television.

The average British adult was using their phone for an extra one hour and 17 minutes a day more than in 2015, said IPA TouchPoints, while television usage has remained stable over the past decade, with 2015 usage rates at three hours and 23 minutes on average.

Those aged 15 to 24 now spend four hours and 49 minutes on their mobile phones on average, compared with one hour and 49 minutes watching television.

Conversely, those aged 65 to 74 spend four hours and 40 minutes watching TV and one hour and 47 minutes on their mobile phones. 

TV set viewing peaks in the evening and computer use aligns with the traditional workday, dropping off after hours, IPA TouchPoints found, while mobile usage remained consistently high from morning until bedtime, suggesting mobile phones are now the most constant media companion. 

When all screen-based activities are combined, including mobile phones, TV sets, laptops, tablets and games consoles, British adults now spend an average of seven hours and 27 minutes per day consuming screen-based media, an increase from six hours and 36 minutes in 2015. 

Dan Flynn, deputy research director at the IPA, commented: “This year’s TouchPoints data marks a milestone in the evolution of media consumption, with mobile phone usage overtaking traditional TV set viewing for the first time.

“It’s a clear signal of how embedded mobile phones have become in our daily lives – always on, always within reach and increasingly central to how we consume content, connect and unwind.”