Eight minutes per day more television in the Corona year
In the Corona year 2020, the Swiss watched an average of eight minutes more television per day than in 2019. The increase was particularly significant among older adults.
Overall, the Swiss watched 2 hours and 7 minutes of television every day last year, according to the media indicators published on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In addition to live use, this also includes time-shifted replay and television consumption on the computer.
In German-speaking Switzerland, TV consumption rose by 7 to 119 minutes per day, in French-speaking Switzerland by 11 to 142 minutes per day and in Italian-speaking Switzerland by 7 to 170 minutes per day. The latter thus watched almost 50 minutes more TV than the German-speaking Swiss and almost half an hour more than the French-speaking Swiss.
The increase was most pronounced among older people in all regions: For example, the German-speaking Swiss over 60 sat in front of the TV 20 minutes longer per day than in the previous year - a total of 3 hours and 34 minutes. In French-speaking Switzerland, the increase in this age group was as much as 22 minutes to a total of 4 hours and 19 minutes, and among Italian-speakers 18 minutes to 4 hours and 31 minutes per day.
Those aged 45 to 59 also increased their TV consumption during the pandemic period: in German-speaking Switzerland by 13 to 151 minutes, in French-speaking Switzerland by 21 to 192 minutes and in Ticino by 4 to 197 minutes.
Mixed picture among the younger generation
Among the younger age categories, TV consumption in German-speaking Switzerland declined across the board: among those under 14 to a total of 32 minutes per day, among 15- to 29-year-olds to 36 minutes and among 30- to 44-year-olds to 85 minutes. For the statistics, 2020 households were surveyed throughout Switzerland.
In French-speaking Switzerland, all age groups watched TV for longer in the pandemic year: 15-29 year-olds and 30-44 year-olds each watched one minute more, 44 and 97 minutes per day respectively. Among 3- to 14-year-olds, TV consumption increased by 4 minutes to 51 minutes.
In Italian-speaking Switzerland, the 30 to 44 age group also watched 11 minutes more TV per day. In the youngest age categories, however, consumption declined or remained the same, at 59 minutes per day among 15- to 29-year-olds and 66 minutes per day among 3- to 14-year-olds. (SDA)
