mericans have plenty of time: 24 hours in a day to be precise. But how do they spend it? The average American sleeps 8.6 hours. Workers spend a third of the day on the job. The number three activity, after sleep and work, is watching TV. Consumers spend half their leisure time � and effectively 11 per cent of their lives � in front of the tube. That�s strong evidence of the commanding role TV plays in the lives of consumers even as the ad industry debates the future of the 30-second spot and the issue of slipping broadcast ratings.

The facts come from the American Time Use Survey, the US government�s first comprehensive time study. The survey, offering detailed data on how different demographic groups spend their days, puts hard numbers behind common assumptions. Women spend four times as much time on housework (an hour a day) as men do. Employed men on an average put in an hour more at work (eight hours) than employed women (seven hours).... more