We may spend more time on the internet, but when it comes to entertaining ourselves, Australians still prefer watching the good old telly.
That’s the findings of a new study by Roy Morgan Research that found the average Australian watched 18 hours of TV a week.
The study found we spend 19 hours a week using the internet, but six of those hours were spent doing tedious stuff such as homework or work outside of hours. Meaning TV kills the internet by a good five hours a week when it comes to entertainment.
Some 42 per cent of us regularly surfed the internet while watching TV, while 37 per cent admitted they like to shut themselves off from the rest of the world when they get home by collapsing in front of the box.
Commenting on the study, Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said: “Australians’ average time spent watching television declined from 2004 to 2012, coinciding with the rapid growth in home internet and arrival of smartphones, tablets and smart TVs. However the time spent watching television has steadied over the last few years, suggesting we may be approaching a ‘base’ level of habitual TV viewership in the internet age—one that’s perhaps much higher than naysayers might have predicted.
“One big advantage for television is that it’s not a zero-sum game: extra internet time at home doesn’t have to mean less TV. Overall 42 per cent of Australians agree they like to surf the internet while watching TV—including almost two-thirds of 14-34 year-olds. Naturally, multi-screening viewers spend more time than average using the internet at home—but across each age group, they also watch around an hour and a half more TV during the week.
“There are only so many hours in the day (and that we get to enjoy at home). Some 37 per cent of Australians agree that they like to shut themselves off from the rest of the world when they’re at home. Television networks and their advertisers continue to have the widest reach among Australians in the home,” she said.
