Users of Apple’s iPad and other tablets prefer to spend more time fiddling with their devices in bed than in the bathroom.
That’s the assessment of a new study by The Nielsen Co.
Nielsen recently surveyed 12,000 tablet, e-reader and smartphone owners in the U.S. to find out where and in what situations people like to use the gadgets.The study also measured how long people use their devices compared to other situations. Use while watching TV, lying in bed, hanging out with friends and family, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, and in the bathroom were all gauged.
Users of tablets, e-readers and smartphones said they spend about 3 percent to 4 percent of their gadget time in the bathroom. By comparison, about 21 percent of a tablet user’s time is spent lying in bed, and 11 percent of smartphone usage is spent on the mattress, according to the survey. Sixty-one percent of e-reader owners cited bedtime as a great situation for opening an e-book. And 37 percent of e-reading time was spent lying in bed among those surveyed.
The most popular place to use tablets appears to be in front of the tube.
Seventy percent of tablet owners cited watching TV as the most popular situation for using a tablet. This was also the biggest time suck with 30 percent of a user’s tablet time spent in front of the set.
The least popular situation to pull out the electronic gizmos?
Tablet owners said they are least likely to use the device while commuting. Smartphone owners are most reluctant to pull out their device during a class or meeting. And 9 percent of e-reader users surveyed say they leave their gadgets at home when shopping or running errands.
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