The average time we spend in front of a glass screen has increased by over 130%. Consuming online content now takes us almost 7 hours, when not long ago it was "only" 3 hours. According to research carried out by Sapio Research and DoubleVerify, people have literally become glued to their screens and in many cases... this will no longer change. What does that mean for us?

Did another morning greet you with grey skies outside the window and a notification that a new report describing your smartphone usage is available? iPhone owners know this judgmental and uninvited alert all too well — it's a kind of "examination of conscience" issued by the phone. The system reminds you once again: you're spending too much time in front of a screen. However, if it's less than 7 hours, then... you're dragging down the global average!

One-third of the day in front of a screen!

Back in December 2020, Sapio Research and DoubleVerify published the results of their latest research, carried out on a group of 10,000 respondents from the United States and Europe. According to the report titled Four Fundamental Shifts in Media & Advertising During 2020, the average daily time spent in front of a phone, TV or other device screen that allows for consuming online content doubled last year!

As the report's authors state, we currently spend as much as 6 hours and 59 minutes in front of screens of all kinds — nearly one-third of the day. In pre-pandemic times, it was 4 hours less. The difference is therefore colossal.

- From the doubling of content consumption time to the dangers of navigating through waves of fake news, these changes highlight the critical challenges facing brands in 2020 and the years to come. Never before has reaching audiences in the right place and context been so essential for increasing campaign effectiveness - comments Mark Zagorski, CEO at DoubleVerify.

Secrets of the average

Secrets of the average

The ongoing pandemic turned homes into offices, boutiques, cinemas, and even bars and restaurants. Prolonged sitting in the same place forced people to rearrange their lives and change their habits. Seeking an escape from the static landscape of everyday life, the glass screen of our electronic devices became a true window on the world.

Viewership boom

Viewership boom

The Sapio and DoubleVerify research leaves no doubt: considering average time, all forms of content consumption carried out via smart devices gained during the pandemic. The biggest beneficiaries are: social media channels (48%), news and information sites and apps (47%), streaming services such as Netflix or HBO Go (47%), television (45%) and games on both desktop and mobile devices (37%).

The report's authors point out how important a point of contact between users and the internet CTV platforms are becoming, i.e. connected TV, meaning any television set connected to the internet with the ability to stream video. - This did not escape the attention of marketers, who have always followed consumer behaviour, which is why spending on programmatic in the Connected TV channel is growing, among other things. According to Pixalate, despite the ongoing pandemic, spending on automated advertising on connected TV devices grew by around 70% last year. It is all the result of changing habits. 44% of DoubleVerify survey respondents say they use CTV devices more often since the outbreak of the pandemic. - explains Grzegorz Kosiński, CEO of the Audience Network agency

Internet revolutions

Internet revolutions

What does one-third of the day in front of a screen mean in practice?

One of the more interesting conclusions from the analysis of the report Four Fundamental Shifts in Media & Advertising During 2020 is that we will not return to the pre-pandemic state. Consequently, the entire advertising ecosystem will change.

More than two-thirds of consumers (69%) say they pay more attention to advertising that seems tailored to the content they are viewing, which translates into purchases - nearly half of respondents (44%) declare that thanks to appropriately placed ads, they recently decided to try a new brand.

Returning to the question: does the increase in the amount of time we spend with our devices mean something bad for us?

- The smart objects around us are merely a tool for carrying out activities we already know perfectly well. Instead of visiting our client, we connect with them via a messenger. We watch the latest films on the sofa rather than at the cinema, etc. Technology does not change our goals, it merely helps us achieve them in an alternative way - concludes Marcin Filipowicz, vice-president of Audience Network.

 

 

Summary

The Sapio Research and DoubleVerify report shows that in 2020 the average screen time rose to nearly 7 hours a day, an increase of over 130% compared with the pre-pandemic period. The biggest beneficiaries of this trend are social media, streaming services and television, as well as games. The surge in viewership has forced changes in advertising – spending on programmatic in the CTV channel increased by around 70%, and two-thirds of consumers declare paying greater attention to ads tailored to content.

Experts such as Marcin Filipowicz stress, however, that technology does not change our goals – it merely offers new ways of achieving them. Although many habits may remain, it is precisely marketers' adaptation to new behaviours that will be crucial for campaign effectiveness in the coming years.