Daily mobile use equals that of newspapers, magazines combined

Startling statistics released by eMarketer show that time spent on mobile devices now equals the time spent reading newspapers and magazines combined.

by Helen Leggatt

Okay - perhaps the results aren't really as "startling" as they first appear - particularly when you take a look at what people are reading on public transport and in cafes. Most are now transfixed to their mobile phone screen rather than a paper-based publication.

According to new estimates from eMarketer, adults in the U.S. now spend 50 minutes per day glued to their mobile phone. Reading a print newspaper now only accounts for 30 minutes out of a person's day and magazines even less at 20 minutes.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean U.S. adults are consuming less news and gossip - quite the opposite. No doubt many visit online publications to get their fix, in between status updates on Twitter and Facebook.

eMarketer also discovered that, while the Internet is firmly entrenched in most people's lives, the television is still the most-watched medium. American adults spend about four and a half hours per day watching television, compared to an average of just two and a half hours per day spent online.