A survey conducted by Global Web Index has revealed some interesting details regarding media consumption as a result of COVID-19, or the coronavirus. The study, which gathered data from nearly 4,000 consumers across the US and the UK, has revealed that over 80% of people have significantly increased media consumption.

How has media consumption changed with COVID-19? Let's break down the data and see how this global pandemic has affected how different demographics consume media information across audiovisual formats.

Generation Z

Generation Z (16-23 years old) is now consuming 38% more online TV streaming, which consists of services such as Netflix, HBO Go, and Disney+. Similarly, this group is now watching 51% more online videos, relying more on sources like YouTube and TikTok than ever before. Even print media (such as magazines and newspapers) saw an increase of 9%, a medium that is generally unfavorable to this demographic.

Millennials

Millennials, those between the ages of 24 to 37, enjoy a broader spectrum of media consumption. The biggest impact on this generation is among online videos and TV streaming, with both respectively increasing by 44% and 41%. TV broadcasting, music streaming, and radio consumption didn't fall far behind, ranging from 26% to 35% usage rates. This is presumably due to millennials being of a more mature age range (compared to Gen Z) while being just as technically savvy with all forms of media.

Generation X

This group, defined as those between 38-56 years of age, rely on broadcast TV 45% more than they did before COVID-19, with radio listening also increasing by a staggering 38%. Additionally, this group embraced digital media services by a significant margin, with online TV streaming rising by 38% as well.

Baby Boomers

Lastly, this 57-64 age group relies mostly on broadcast television over any other media, increasing consumption by 42% since the outbreak. Everything else has only increased marginally by comparison (physical press, for example, only increased by 7%).

As governments continue to enforce (or otherwise suggest) strict regulations as a result of COVID-19, media consumption is likely to remain at an all-time high as a means of staying engaged.

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