The fragmentation of media usage
Editor’s note: Nick White is the head of strategic research at Attest.
Spending more time scrolling social media than getting lost in a good TV drama? The way Americans entertain themselves is changing – and insights professionals must track media usage trends closely to advise their businesses.
Attest’s U.S. Media Consumption Report reveals a media landscape shaped by digital saturation, generational divergence and the ever-looming squeeze on consumers’ time and money (registration required). Here, we breakdown the key trends you need to know.
TV viewing time shrinks, platforms polarize
TV viewing time is declining. In 2025, just 56% of Americans watch three or more hours of TV per day, down from 61% last year. This is part of a three-year trend, particularly pronounced among younger consumers. Only 50% of 31-49-year-olds and 52% of under 30s hit that three-hour threshold, compared to 66% of 50-67-year-olds.
Live TV is taking the biggest hit: 28% of consumers now say they don’t watch any live TV daily, up +8 percentage points over two years. Those under 30 are leading this decline, with 41% tuning out of live TV completely. These shifts raise fundamental questions for brands still placing heavy bets on linear broadcast ad placements.
Streaming is also feeling the strain, though to a lesser degree. While binge sessions (over three hours) have declined by -4 points, 33% of Americans still stream for one to two hours daily. Netflix remains dominant with 64% weekly usage, but Amazon Prime (+4 points to 49%) and Disney+ (+4 to 35%) are the real climbers this year. Max, meanwhile, continues its descent, falling another -4 points to 25%.
What does this mean for brands?
Diversify your video ad strategy. In a separate research study, we found that 40% of Americans have switched from a premium TV streaming plan to one supported by ads. So, it’s getting easier to reach your audience wherever they are watching – though where they’re watching is becoming increasingly fragmenting. It’s not just across platforms, but across generational lines. Netflix and Hulu are strongholds for 18-30-year-olds, while Prime skews older. Knowing which audience is where (and when) is critical for ROI.
The sound of change: Audio is splintering
Audio is also in flux. Daily music streaming, which took a hit last year, is back up +6 points to 42%. Spotify is pulling ahead of YouTube Music with 39% regular usage versus 31%, largely thanks to younger audiences: 57% of those under 30 stream on Spotify.
Traditional radio, however, continues a slow fade. Daily listenership is down to 31%, with notable drop-offs among those under 30 (just 15% listen daily). That said, it still holds power among 31-49-year-olds (37% daily) and listeners over 50 (36%) and remains a viable channel to reach higher-income households: 60% of those earning $100K+ tune in multiple times a week.
Podcasts are becoming an unlikely growth channel for older consumers. One in three of those over 50 now listen weekly (+5 points year-over-year), even as usage among those under 30 slips by -7 points. Comedy is the top genre among younger listeners, while older audiences gravitate toward news and politics.
The social slowdown
Despite nearly universal daily usage (93%), Americans are cutting back on the amount of time spent on social media. Time spent scrolling for over three hours daily is down -6.5 points to 30%, especially among 31-49-year-olds (down -10.5 points since last year). That age group now predominantly spends just one to two hours online per day.
Still, younger audiences remain heavy users. Forty-six percent of those under 30 spend more than three hours a day on social platforms. Interestingly, lower-income consumers are significantly more likely to be heavy users (33% spending over three hours daily vs. 22% of higher earners), suggesting different roles that social media plays across socioeconomic groups.
TikTok is the only major platform to grow in daily usage this year (+5 points to 30%), driven entirely by those under 30 (up +12 points). X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook both saw small losses in daily use and X continues to struggle – now abandoned entirely by 54% of Americans.
For brands, TikTok’s growth is both an opportunity and a challenge. Creative, short-form video must now be seen as a pillar of any youth-targeted strategy, while Facebook’s utility for 30+ audiences still justify its place in the media mix – at least for now.
The subscription squeeze: Print declines, digital plateaus
Print continues its retreat into a niche territory. Only 5% of Americans read printed newspapers daily and nearly half (48%) never pick one up. Weekly readership is strongest among 31-49-year-olds (8%) but is declining across the board.
Digital news fares better, with 24% of Americans accessing it daily and 54% at least a few times a week. But individuals under 30 are pulling back. Just 42% read digital news at least once a week (down -7.5 points). Digital magazine readership is similarly down -10.5 points for this age group.
Perhaps most concerning: younger consumers are scaling back content subscriptions. Just over 40% of those under 30 pay for content, following a sharp -11.5 point drop. Specifically, those with both print and digital subs dropped by -6 points showing affordability is clearly a factor.
High-income audiences remain a bright spot: 68% of $100K+ earners access digital news weekly and 47% hold some type of content subscription. For premium publishers and brands targeting affluent consumers, this cohort continues to deliver value.
What does this mean for marketing researchers and insights professionals?
If there’s one overarching message from the 2025 data, it’s this: Media usage is fragmenting, but not fading. Consumers aren’t disengaging from content – they’re reallocating attention in highly intentional ways.
For B2C brands, this means deeper segmentation, always-on pulse tracking and smarter media measurement. To succeed, every media touchpoint must be interrogated by platform, format, demographic and frequency. Helping your business with this work will not only deepen your understanding of your target audience but also earn well-deserved recognition for the insights function.
Methodology
Attest’s 2025 US Media Consumption Report surveyed 1,000 working-age consumers based in the United States. The survey concluded on April 2, 2025.