Survey of prime time for video viewing (commuting/school commute hours)

Recently, it has become common to observe people watching videos on smartphones or tablets while using public transportation like trains and buses. The content being viewed spans various genres, including news, sports, variety shows, and dramas. Within the insights on young internet video audiences reported in this series, this installment specifically analyzes video viewing behavior during commutes to work or school. While the situation is limited, commuting and school travel, which occupy a relatively large portion of the day, show potential for expanding video viewing.

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◆ 20% of Young People Watch Videos Daily During Commutes

◆ About one-third of commuting/commuting time spent watching videos

 

Regardless of age group, commuting/school commute type, or gender, young people spend about one-third of their travel time watching videos (Figure 2).

The figures were 33.4% for male commuters aged 18-29, 34.0% for female commuters aged 18-29, 34.0% for male students, and 36.3% for female students. Furthermore, commuters spend less time traveling than students, who average about 51 minutes. Longer commutes mean more time for video viewing; students spend an average of just under 18 minutes watching videos. This is a scene that would have been unimaginable before subways had reliable internet access or before smartphones became widespread.

Furthermore, among services used by younger commuters and students, video-sharing platforms like YouTube and Niconico Douga were overwhelmingly dominant (Figure 3).

Specifically, 80.7% of male commuters aged 18-29 and 86.7% of female commuters aged 18-29 use shared video services, with both groups showing higher usage rates than older age groups. Shared video services are particularly popular among female commuters, with a very high usage rate of 91.6%. In contrast, usage rates for other types of content, such as TV broadcasts and streaming video services, are low.

◆ Popular TV Genres Dominate Viewing Content

 

While the usage rate of shared video services is high, what kind of content is being viewed? (Figure 4)

"Music/PVs" scored high among younger users, especially women, with 62.7% of 18-29 year-olds watching them. School-going women scored even higher at 67.5%. Men scored relatively higher for "Sports" and "Anime." While "PV/Music" content isn't necessarily TV-derived, genres like "News/Reporting," "Sports," "Variety," "Comedy," "Drama," and "Anime" are popular TV program genres. This result offers a glimpse into TV's significant influence during commuting and school commute times.

 

◆ Commuters and students seek distraction and relaxation through video viewing during their commute

 

The top reason for watching videos during commutes is "It's just right for killing time." This score is particularly high among students: 85.5% of female students and 75.9% of male students. Additionally, "to relieve travel stress" was cited by 36.1% of commuting women aged 18-29 and 30.1% of commuting students, higher than other demographics. This indicates younger women are more likely to use video viewing as a stress reliever. For younger audiences, video viewing serves as an ideal service that simultaneously fulfills the need for both passing time and relaxation during commutes.

[Commuting/School Commute Video Viewing Survey Overview]
・Survey Method: Online survey
・Survey Area: Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures (Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama)
・Survey Participants: 664 men and women aged 15-49
① Commuters: 498 working individuals aged 18 to their 40s
② Students: High school, technical college, vocational school, and university students (up to age 25): 166 people
・Participant Criteria: Among those who take trains or buses for commuting/schooling,
　• Survey Period: June 19–21, 2014
・Survey Period: June 19–21, 2014
Survey company: Dentsu Macromill Insight, Inc.