The amount of time the average American spends watching television is up slightly while a more significant rise is seen in how long teens and children are in front of the tube, Nielsen Media Research reported Thursday.
The increased use of portable devices such as iPods and cell phones and growing interest in video transmitted over the Internet have not curbed TV watching in the home, the media research firm said.
For the year-long season that ended Sept. 17, the average person spent a record four hours and 35 minutes a day watching TV, up by three minutes. The average household watched eight hours and 14 minutes of TV a day, also a rise of three minutes.
Teenagers, between 12 and 17, watched 3 percent more television, while girls in the same age range increased their consumption by 6 percent. Most of the rise was during the early morning and late night hours of 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Patricia McDonough, senior vice president at Nielsen Media Research, said, “At this point, consumption of emerging forms of entertainment, including Internet television and video on personal devices seem not to be making an impact on traditional television viewing.”
Children from the ages of 2 to 11 also watched more TV, with a rise of 3 percent during prime time, 5 percent in the early morning and 6 percent late at night.