Adults in Great Britain now spend more time on their mobile phones than watching television, according to the annual TouchPoints survey by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). The average person aged 15 or over spends three hours and 21 minutes daily on their mobile, compared with three hours and 16 minutes watching a traditional TV set. Total screen time across all devices has risen to almost 7.5 hours per day, up from 6.5 hours a decade ago.
Mobile phone usage has nearly tripled from one hour and 17 minutes a day ten years ago, while TV viewing has remained relatively stable. The survey of 6,416 people found that mobile use remains consistently high from morning until bedtime, unlike TV which peaks in the evening and computers which align with working hours. This marks a shift towards 'always on' media consumption.
Younger generations are driving the change, with 15- to 24-year-olds spending four hours and 49 minutes on their phones – almost 50% more than the average – and just one hour and 49 minutes watching traditional TV. The data also reveals emotional differences: viewers are 55% more likely to feel sad when watching video on a mobile compared with a TV set, and 52% more likely to feel relaxed when watching traditional TV.
Browsing social media and messaging accounts for 49% of mobile time, followed by radio and audio at 20%, and watching TV and video at 15%. Industry experts expressed concern about the impact of social media on mental health and engagement with trusted news. The IPA's Dan Flynn called the findings 'a milestone in the evolution of media consumption'.
