Moms and Media 2021 reflects a year of adjustment in media usage and consumption resulting from a new, at-home lifestyle in the wake of COVID-19.
The latest installment of the annual report combines data from the Infinite Dial® series from Edison Research and Triton Digital, with recent data from Edison Research’s new ongoing syndicated measurement of social media, The Social Habit. With both studies conducted during the pandemic, the data shows how media habits have changed as a result of being home. The report showcases how Moms in the United States maintain their mobile tendencies and rely on devices and technology to manage the new normal. In addition, it sheds light on how moms view their children’s social media usage in regard to their adjustment of being in a pandemic.
Smart speakers have proven themselves as little (or big!) helpers. Whether it is adding to a grocery list, getting information or even setting an alarm for kids to log back into remote school, smart speakers check those boxes and more. With hands free help, these devices are becoming part of the family. In 2021, 46% of moms reported owning some kind of smart speaker, up from the 33% we saw in 2020.
When it comes to smart speakers, more is better for most moms. The majority of smart speaker moms (58%) own two or more smart speakers. The average number of smart speakers in the home is 2.7.
With the ability to place these in multiple locations around the house, mom has coverage even when she is moving from room to room.
While moving room to room in makeshift, shared workspaces around the house, moms embrace the devices that help smooth the transition and quiet the noise. With a year of video calls and online school at home, earphones are a must. 61% of moms reported owning wireless earphones or headphones.
Devices are necessary but without the Internet to power them they aren’t nearly as functional. The internet is taking the biggest piece of moms’ media time, with moms in 2021 reporting they spend 4 hours and 16 minutes daily using the internet. That is 23 minutes more than what they reported in 2020.
Over the last year, children were also adjusting to new habits due to the pandemic. Without in-person school or extracurricular activities, there was limited social interaction for children. The mental health implications of this have been in the spotlight and a big driver of getting kids back to in-person school where possible. Social media moms look to social media to help with this for their children. Half of social media moms agree that social media is helping their children cope during the pandemic.
About Edison Research
Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to a broad array of commercial clients, governments, and NGOs, including AMC Theatres, Amazon, Apple, BBC, The Brookings Institution, Facebook, The Gates Foundation, Google, Voice of America, The New York Times, Oracle, Pandora, The Pew Research Center, Spotify, SiriusXM Radio, and UnidosUS. Edison Research is the leading podcast research company in the world and has conducted research on the medium for NPR, PodcastOne, Slate, Spotify, Stitcher/Midroll, ESPN, WNYC Studios, Wondery, and many more companies in the space. Another specialty for Edison Research is its work for media companies throughout the world, conducting research in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Edison Research is also the leading provider of consumer exit polling and has conducted face-to-face research in almost every imaginable venue. Since 2004, Edison Research has been the sole provider of Election Day data to the National Election Pool, consisting of ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News, conducting exit polls and collecting real-time vote results in all 50 states.
