• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 12, 2016

The amount of time that people around the world devote to using mobile Internet will increase by nearly 27.7% this year, driving a 1.4% increase in overall media consumption, according to Zenith’s Media Consumption Forecast, which was issued today. 

All other media usage -- including desktop Internet -- will decline, by 3.4% in total, according to the forecast. 

Desktop consumption is now in decline as users switch to mobile devices. In 2015, mobile overtook desktop to become the primary medium for accessing the Internet. This year Zenith predicts that globally, people will spend on average 86 minutes a day using mobile Internet, compared to 36 minutes using desktop Internet. Thus, 71% of Internet consumption will be via mobile. In North America the corresponding figure is just a tick higher at 72%. 

According to the report, all traditional media will shrink this year: cinema by 0.5%, outdoor by 0.8%, television by 1.5%, radio by 2.4%, newspapers by 5.6% and magazines by 6.7%. 

However, Zenith noted in its forecast that those figures only refer to time spent with these media in their traditional forms -- printed publications and broadcast television channels and radio stations. Much of the time that consumers spend on the Internet is devoted to consuming content that has been produced by traditional publishers and broadcasters. Traditional media owners have invested heavily in online brand extensions, and some of them have larger audiences online than they ever had for their offline products, according to the report. 

For 2017 the report forecasts 1.2% growth in overall consumption, followed by 0.4% growth in 2018, as mobile usage starts to level off. 

Despite recent declines, television still dominates global media consumption, drawing nearly three hours (177 minutes) of usage a day in 2015. Internet consumption came in second at 110 minutes a day. 

Television accounted for 41% of total media consumption in 2015, and Zenith is forecasting that it will still account for 38% in 2018, when the Internet will account for 31%. 

“Mobile technology is transforming the way people around the world consume media, and is expanding overall media consumption,” stated Jonathan Barnard, Zenith’s Head of Forecasting. “It provides traditional media owners the opportunity to reach people and places they’ve never had access to previously, and gives consumers entirely new ways to find and enjoy compelling content.”