The study found that in 2016, approximately half of our waking hours – 7.4 hours – are now spent consuming media or online information. This is an increase of 2% on 2015 and 9% on 2005. 

On average, British consumers are now spending four hours and 16 minutes per day consuming online content of any kind. This is more than double the time spent in 2005 (two hours). 

What’s more, the study suggests we spend nearly two hours media multi-tasking – that is, using two media at the same time; more than 20% of us are using three media at a time for at least 44 minutes each day. Among millennials, this rises to 26% of people juggling three or more media for 47 minutes every day. 

“TouchPoints 2016 reveals a clear break with the past, with millennials defining new patterns of media consumption that will shape the media, marketing and technology industries in the decades to come," said Lynne Robinson, research director, IPA.

“While the consumption of live media through off-line channels remains consistently strong across all adults including millennials, it is clear we have reached a tipping point in that online media consumption is fast becoming dominant."

IPA TouchPoints 2016 is the latest wave of the IPA’s decade-long study of consumer behaviour and media consumption. More information can be found here.