Study: We're Watching Less TV, Streaming Music More

A new study from Attest, a consumer research platform, finds that the amount of TV Americans watch continues to fall. The US Media Consumption Report found that the percentage of Americans watching TV for more than three hours a day has declined 3 percentage points in 2024, to 61%. And 24% of Americans don’t watch any live TV, a jump of 4% from last year.

Forbes reports those most likely to have abandoned live TV are also those who grew up the rise of streaming options and those better versed in tech than the generations above them—adults 35-44. Interestingly, their media usage is also down in other areas beyond TV.

The report is based on research on the Attest platform from a tracker survey conducted annually in March and April, including 1,000 nationally representative U.S. working-age consumers.

“The data shows that consumers aged 35-44 are most likely to have cut down on media consumption across the board,” said Jeremy King, CEO and founder of Attest. “This significant shift could be reflective of the older Millennial demographic, who are juggling families and the demands of more senior job roles, or it could be the first signs of Millennials stepping back from the technology and media that has shaped their generation, as they make a more permanent transition to reduced media consumption.”

Almost half of Americans now listen to streamed music daily. The medium continues to grow steadily, recording  a +5.2 percentage point increase in daily listeners yearon-year to 44.5%.

Attest’s research suggests other platforms have seen reductions in time spent, too. Snapchat, for example, has seen users decline by 7%, and the drop is especially notable among the app’s sweet spot, users ages 18-24. Last year more than half of them used the app every day, but that’s fallen to 31% this year.

So why are people watching less TV and tamping down on social media usage? It could be a combination of factors, Attest believes.

““High inflation and the rising price of subscriptions has clearly had an impact on the big streaming platforms,” King said. “During the pandemic, consumers were more willing to spend on subscriptions but now that’s behind us and we’re being squeezed on things like groceries, canceling a streaming service seems like an easy way to save.”

“But it might not just be about money. We’re also seeing a decline in consumers' overall media consumption, with shorter TV watching sessions and social media scrolling sessions. This might be as a result of the wider ‘slow living’ trend, which sees Americans trying to achieve a more mindful lifestyle. Notably, slow-life advocates are mindful of the time they spend on tech devices.”