Tablets and TV - media consumption in the home

The average UK household now owns more than three types of internet-enabled devices and tablet ownership has more than doubled in the last year.  Over 50% of adults in the UK now own a smartphone.  These trends are impacting how the population consumes and interacts with digital media.Ofcom, the UK's communications industries regulator, has released its latest Communications Market Report, providing a snapshot of changing media behaviour in UK households.Tablet devices

• 24% of households now own a tablet computer.
• 95% use it at least once a week; two thirds use it every day
• 9% of households own more than one tablet device
• Half of tablet owners say "they couldn't live without them"
• A third of them use their tablets as their main way of connecting to the internet
• Half of tablet users have downloaded one or more TV apps

• 22% of households with a tablet use it to watch different content in the same room all or most of the time
• More adults are watching TV on their main set than a decade ago (91% up from 88% in 2002)
• 53% of UK adults are ‘media multi-tasking' while watching TV
• 25% are ‘media meshing' while watching TV - this includes texting about what they are watching; tweeting or using apps to communicate directly with programmes
• 49% are using devices to undertake unrelated tasks while watching TV - anything from online shopping to social networking
• The number of TVs per household is in decline - but the screens are getting bigger

• 84% of 16-24 year olds use at least one form of web-based communication (email; instant messaging; social media) every week
• 80% of them are texting at least every week
• Social networking is now the most popular form of web-based communication