Stay-at-home mums spend more time on smartphones and social media, study shows

Working mothers are more likely to own a smartphone but stay-at-home mothers spend more time using them, a new study says. Picture: iStock.

Jennifer Dudley-NicholsonNews Corp Australia Network

STAY-AT-HOME mothers spend an extra two hours each week looking at their smartphones and even more time in front of the computer and the television than their working counterparts, a new study has revealed.

Their extended technology use came even though working mothers were more likely to own new gadgets, from smartphones to smart televisions.

Stay-at-home mums spend more time consuming media than women in the workforce. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Stay-at-home mums spend more time consuming media than women in the workforce. Picture: Tim Hunter.Source:News Corp Australia

Research firm Nielsen made the findings in a study into media consumption among mothers, which concluded mothers were increasingly adopting new technology regardless of their working status.

But the Nielsen Total Audience Report identified a significant gap between mothers most likely to own technology, and those who make the greatest use of it.

In fact, they spend more time on facebook, computer screens and watching Tv than their counterparts.

In fact, they spend more time on facebook, computer screens and watching Tv than their counterparts.Source:News Limited

Stay-at-home mothers spent an additional eight hours watching television each week on average, whether live or prerecorded, an extra three hours using a computer, and two hours more on a smartphone.

The group was also more social online, spending an extra hour on social networks like Facebook while using a PC, and 33 minutes more each week viewing social media on a smartphone.

The only exception was working mothers’ use of social media on tablet computers, where they logged in an extra hour socialising online.

Home with working mums tended to have more technology, like subscription TV, game consoles and smart TVs, the study showed.

Home with working mums tended to have more technology, like subscription TV, game consoles and smart TVs, the study showed.Source:News Corp Australia

The extra income in households with working mothers appeared to go towards technology, the study showed, with more homes with working mums connected to broadband internet, and boasting more PCs, smartphones, smart TVs, game consoles, and subscription TV services.

MORE IN Social