British adults are now spending more time on their mobile phones than watching television, as reported by Marketing Week and based on new data from the IPA’s TouchPoints study. The findings mark a major shift in how people consume media in the UK.
Gen Z Drives the Shift to Mobile
Mobile usage has more than doubled since 2015, jumping from 1 hour and 17 minutes to 3 hours and 21 minutes per day. By contrast, average TV viewing has dropped slightly to 3 hours and 16 minutes. Younger audiences are behind this change. People aged 15 to 24 spend nearly five hours a day on their smartphones, but only 1 hour and 49 minutes watching television.
Meanwhile, the older population still leans heavily toward TV. Adults aged 65 to 74 spend 4 hours and 40 minutes per day watching television, compared to just 1 hour and 47 minutes on mobile.
Screen Time Keeps Rising Overall
Even as viewing habits shift, screen time is growing overall. The average adult in the UK now spends 7 hours and 27 minutes each day consuming screen-based media. That includes smartphones, TVs, computers, tablets, and game consoles. In 2015, the average was 6 hours and 36 minutes.
Mobile usage stays high throughout the day. It supports everything from content consumption to messaging and entertainment, making it the most consistently used screen. By comparison, TV viewing peaks in the evening and desktop use aligns with the workday.
Emotional Differences Still Exist
Despite mobile’s dominance, people still respond emotionally to TV in ways that differ from other screens. Viewers are 52% more likely to feel relaxed when watching traditional television. On the other hand, those who watch video on a mobile phone are 55% more likely to say they feel sad while doing so.
Thinkbox CEO Lindsey Clay cautioned that screen time isn’t a perfect measure of advertising success. “We watch TVs and use mobile phones for very different reasons,” she said. “Worrying which gets more time is like worrying if people are flossing their teeth more than playing the piano.”
What This Means for Advertisers
Dan Flynn, deputy research director at the IPA, called the data a “milestone” in evolving media habits. He noted that mobile phones are now “always on, always within reach, and increasingly central” to everyday life.
Denise Turner, incoming research director at the IPA, echoed that point. She told Marketing Week the findings reinforce mobile’s status as the dominant screen, while also showing just how quickly media behavior is changing.
