TV Is Just Background Noise for Women, Study Finds

For many American women, television is becoming like Muzak. It’s on a lot, but it’s mostly background noise. That’s the conclusion of a just-released report from research firm Solutions Research Group documenting the media habits of women in the United States.

While women’s time spent with TV is on the rise over last year, attention to shows is dipping, the report said. In fact, many women are often using the computer while watching TV — sometimes even to watch videos online. Compared with a year ago, about 58 percent of women say they spend more time with the Internet and 38 percent spend more time with TV, partly because they’re home more due to the recession.

But while time spent with TV is increasing, it’s harder to get women’s attention. “What women are engaging with more is the computer,” said Donna Hall, a senior director at SRG. “In the context of the upfront and new shows being announced, you have an incredibly fickle audience to impress out of the gate, and while the TV might be on, they aren’t always paying attention.”

Only half of respondents said they usually pay full attention while watching even their favorite shows. The laptop is partly to blame. Half of women with laptops said they have them on frequently or more when watching TV, while 53 percent of women said they use a wireless device, such as a phone, which watching TV. Moms and women ages 25 to 39 are more likely to use the TV as background noise, especially when they are on the computer.

Multitasking while watching TV is not unique to women, but two-thirds of women say they don’t have enough time to get things done. As a result, this “time poverty” is usually felt more acutely by women, said Kaan Yigit, an analyst with Solutions Research Group.

When such women are on the computer, their eyes are often on TV programming. About 80 percent of the videos they watch online are also available on TV, ranging from the Susan Boyle viral video from Britain’s Got Talent to Saturday Night Live clips.

“When we go to bed at night, we know that we can access whatever happened last night somehow, somewhere,” Yigit said. “Often the first experience with a TV moment is when it’s posted on YouTube.”

About 47 percent of women 18 to 49 check Facebook or surf the web when they get up in the morning, slightly more than the 46 percent who watch TV first thing.

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