It’s a growing trend: despite the ever-growing number of distractions tempting them, internet users are actually spending less and less time online, according to a new study.
Most of us don’t notice how much time we’re spending online as we surf from one site to another, checking out social media feeds, news, videos and games. Between the endless amount of content, the multitude of different social networks, and the success of streaming, internet users have a lot to keep them busy.
Yet, according to the latest “Digital 2023 April Global Statshot Report”, which analyses the latest digital trends for April, people are spending less and less time online.
Internet users now spend an average of six hours and 35 minutes per day online, regardless of the device used. That’s two minutes less than the previous results from January.
And based on GWI data, it represents a decrease of 18 minutes per day, or 4.4% of time spent online, compared with the same period last year.
Since the second quarter of 2021, time spent online has steadily declined from six hours and 57 minutes to six hours and 35 minutes today. And yet, while this decline is intensifying, internet users still spend more time online than watching television.
In fact, in comparison, internet users spend three hours and 12 minutes watching TV, an hour and 49 minutes reading the press (both online and in print), and one hour and 28 minutes streaming music.
It is also worth noting that internet users spend two hours and 24 minutes using social media, and in this area a decline of five minutes has also been observed when compared with last year.
All in all, the study shows a decline in the amount of time internet users spend on activities such as watching TV, reading the press, listening to music, radio, or podcasts, or even playing on video-game consoles.
With the world average coming in at six hours and 35 minutes, Japan has the lowest time spent online per day at three hours and 51 minutes, while South Africa spends the most at nine hours and 27 minutes.
The United Kingdom is below the world average with an average of five hours and 42 minutes, while India’s average is six hours and 39 minutes.
The United States averages seven hours and two minutes, while Singapore’s average is seven hours and seven minutes.