Americans have run out of screen time

Americans appear to have hit their limit for active media consumption at roughly 25 hours a week. As streaming services fight over viewers, YouTube keeps gaining ground, capturing an increasingly large share of Americans' attention.

The screen time ceiling

According to Boston Consulting Group data, Americans spent 25.3 hours per week actively consuming media in 2025, down from 26.2 hours in 2018. Total consumption declined at an annualized rate of 0.5%.

The bigger story is where those hours are going.

YouTube consumption grew at an annualized rate of 7.8%, outpacing social media (6.6%) and gaming (2.1%). By comparison, non-YouTube video consumption declined 0.7% annually, while print plunged 10.5%.

YouTube's share of weekly media consumption rose from 4% to 6%, while social media increased from 8% to 12%. Combined, the two categories now account for 18% of active media consumption, up from 12% in 2018.

YouTube is becoming a bigger business

The shift in viewing habits is showing up in parent company Alphabet's financial results.

YouTube's annual advertising revenue climbed from $31.5 billion in 2023 to $40.4 billion in 2025. In the third quarter of 2026, advertising revenue rose 9% year over year to $11.2 billion

YouTube's business is also much larger than advertising alone.

Including subscriptions, the platform generated more than $60 billion in revenue in 2025, making it a major contributor to Alphabet's bottom line.

📌 Bottom line: YouTube is winning the attention game as Americans hit the limit of how much screen time they can physically handle.