The fact that we spend a lot of time with digital media is not surprising, but the amount of time the average American spends with them is. On average, the typical American spends 11 hours per day with electronic media. Since most people are only awake for about 16 hours per day, we spend a majority of our waking hours nearby digital media. Recent data also contains some surprises about how slowly our habits have changed over the years.

The Dominance of Television

[membership level=”0″] [sc:smalltxtadsright] [/membership]Of the 11 hours we spend with electronic media, television consumes more than five and half of them. This data point is a bit of a surprise for many as people have more digital media options available than ever before. Data also reveals that only about 30 minutes of our time is spent with recorded programs. Most people watch live television, and the threat of program recording making commercial worthless has not come to fruition.

Experts have long argued that television is a dying medium, but data suggests that it is alive and well. Even though other digital media sources have become more popular, television still dominates, and marketers should be assured that there is a humongous audience for television advertising.

Radio Remains Strong

[membership level=”0″] [sc:smalltxtadsleft] [/membership]Perhaps the most surprising result from recent data is that the radio is still tremendously popular. Despite the easy use of mobile music players and the availability of Internet-based radio available through mobile networks, Americans still spend almost three hours per day listening to the radio. Radio is the earliest form of digital media, but its purported replacements have not yet been able to unseat it. Marketers have long wondered how long radio can last, but it remains a great way to reach out to a large audience.

Fortunately, Internet radio has much in common with traditional radio, and the transition for marketers should be fairly smooth. That said, most Internet radio stations operate on a national scale, and not all are able to target ads locally. Marketers will want to have a plan for targeting Internet radio, but the traditional form is still a viable option.

The Internet Continues to Grow

According to the research, adults spend about an hour per day accessing the Internet from traditional computers, making it a viable platform for reaching out to a broad audience. However, most adults are on their smartphones for slightly longer than an hour, and experts believe that mobile platforms will be the future of web access. Marketers will need to ensure that their advertising campaigns are able to target mobile devices.[membership level=”0″] [sc:smalltxtadsright] [/membership]

Still, the results are slightly at odds with how many believe people spend their time. Despite the belief that people are turning to computers and mobile devices in a big way, the results show that adults are more conservative that many believe. The big money in advertising is still in television and radio, and the Internet does not look like it’s poised to take over. Still, advertising online has been shown to be effective, and it allows marketers with smaller budgets to launch campaigns.

Effects on Marketing

Adults spend a considerable amount of their time using digital platforms that are amenable to advertising, and most adults spend about 12 minutes playing video games and less than 10 minutes per day watching DVD and Blu-ray films. While the future will demand change, adults are moving from platforms supported by advertising to new platforms also supported by advertising.

The main takeaway from the results, however, should be that traditional advertising platforms are still great options for campaigns, and those who are able to effectively target television and radio will be able to generate results. There is no need to panic; traditional advertising platforms aren’t going anywhere.