British advertising research firm OMD conducted a study that showed the average person switches devices 21 times every hour. The firm monitored the gaze of 200 individuals over the course of an evening to reach this conclusion. Throughout the study period, the firm found that participants had the television on 95% of time.
It’s no secret that modern-day lives revolve around electronic devices now more than they ever have. It’s not that we’re retreating from social responsibilities and into our phones, it’s just that our phones — and tablets, computers, and everything else — are becoming much more useful, so we’re using them more. The second screen mentality has become more prevalent over the years, so much so that smartwatches are essentially a second screen for our phones, which are supposed to be the second screens themselves. We know we’re glued to screens, but we don’t necessarily think about the severity of it all. A new study found that over the course of one hour, we switch devices 21 times on average.