Editor’s note: Emma Diehl is content writer and engagement writing specialist at research firm CivicScience, Pittsburgh.

The first time I encountered a TiVo, I felt as though I had discovered time travel. No more hurrying back after class for a show, no more staying up too late for an episode. You could reserve time to catch your favorite program with the simple “bloop” of your remote.

The DVR has no doubt transformed the way we watch television. From watching live to watching two weeks later, DVR use has posed a challenge to networks and advertisers alike. With this technology, how have our viewing habits changed and how can we learn from them?

When looking into this question, I used data collected from a CivicScience study that asked the question, "When you record a TV show or movie on your DVR, how long do you typically wait to view it?" The study received 5,119 responses from June 16, 2016 to July 7, 2016. Respondents voluntarily opted-in and their answers were anonymous. All results were weighted according to the U.S. Census figures for gender and age, 18 and older.

Forty-nine percent responded that they do not watch recorded programs, which could be interpreted that they watch TV exclusively online or they simply watch all TV live. After removing those who don’t use DVR at all we get a better look at DVR users on their own. Overall, the majority, 58 percent, watch content between one and three days after recording, while 18 percent wait more than a week to watch recorded shows. The 33 percent who wait a week or more might be saving multiple weeks of content so they can binge a show all at once.

Age and household size

Age is a great predictor of how soon people watch recorded programs. Generally, the older you are, the less likely you’ll watch a show while it’s recording.

Conversely, 61 percent of viewers under 18 said they never watch recorded programs. Forty-three perc...