British adults are increasingly consuming commercial media in isolation, with 16–34s now spending almost half of their commercial media time without others, according to new data from the IPA published today (9 September).
The findings are revealed in Making Sense: The commercial media landscape 2026, a new IPA report based on new analysis of the commercial media elements of the comprehensive 2026 IPA TouchPoints database. The report will be officially launched at today’s IPA Media Planning & Strategy Summit.
Younger audiences increasingly consume commercial media on their own
According to the report, British adults now spend 44% of their commercial media time consuming commercial media on their own, up 10% from 2015, when the IPA first began tracking the metric.
By gender, this figure is higher for men who spend 46% of their commercial media time consuming commercial media on their own, up 15% since 2015, while for women, they spend 41% of their commercial time consuming commercial media on their own, up 7% from 2015.
The figure is higher among 16–34s, who now spend 46% of their commercial media time alone which is a 21% increase since 2015. Among 35–54s, 39% of commercial media time is now consumed alone, an 11% increase since 2015.
In terms of actual time spent, supporting data from the 2026 IPA TouchPoints database shows that this means British adults now spend more than two and a half hours (2 hours 32 minutes) (up from 1 hour 56 minutes in 2015) each day consuming commercial media on their own. For 16–34s, this figure is 2 hours 45 minutes a day (up from 1 hour 52 minutes in 2015).
By gender, the data reveals that men are spending 2 hours 47 minutes consuming commercial media on their own (up 48 minutes from 2015) and women are spending 2 hours 18 minutes consuming commercial media on their own (up 24 minutes from 2015).
The data also shows that all adults are spending 4% less time per day talking face-to-face since 2015, at 7 hours, 25 minutes (down from 7 hours 45 minutes in 2015), while 16–34s are spending 11% less time per day talking face-to-face, at 7 hours, 10 minutes in 2026 (down from 8 hours 4 minutes in 2015).
Smartphones driving change in the commercial media landscape
The report suggests that the growing dominance of smartphones is helping to drive the shift towards more individualised media consumption, particularly for the younger generations.
In 2026, smartphones account for the same share of commercial media time as TV-sets among all GB adults, at 34%. However, among 16–34s, smartphones account for 49% of commercial media time, while the share accounted for by TV-sets has fallen from 32% in 2015 to 21% in 2026.
Social media and other online video dominate younger audiences
For 16–34s, the growth of social media combined with other online video means these two channels now account for 49% of their commercial media time.
Says Simon Frazier, Associate Director – Head of Marketing & Data Innovation, IPA:
“Consider a Saturday night in a family home in the late 1980s and everyone would possibly be glued to Beadle’s About, sharing anecdotes and bonding over a shared experience. Compare that to today, when the likelihood is that the family will be on multiple screens in different rooms of the house, each engaging with things relevant to their interests. There is greater connection than ever before to the digital realm, but the shared media experience is increasingly under pressure.
“It’s important to highlight that there isn’t a lack of commercial media opportunities – and we can see that new ad-funded opportunities, such as Commercial SVoD, are continuing to grow rapidly. The challenge is that media consumption is increasingly personalised, concurrent and often consumed alone. This is fuelled by the blurring of device boundaries, letting audiences engage with content on their own terms and in moments that fit the modern pace of life.
What this means is that winning attention now requires more complex strategies and planning, more context-aware creative, and these being based on a deeper understanding of how different media environments work.
Says Farhann Cachra, Commercial Strategy Director, Global:
“Media has become more personalised and more likely to be consumed alone. Personalisation risks becoming isolation, and with it an atomised society and a propensity to feed an individualised culture. At the same time, the human need for collective experience hasn’t shrunk. It’s just been squeezed into fewer moments. That scarcity is precisely what makes them so valuable.”
The full commercial media landscape in 2026
These findings are just some of those outlined in the comprehensive Making Sense: The commercial media landscape 2026 report, which examines the full commercial media landscape, including commercial media patterns, time spent and differences between generations.
The report also provides a deep dive into the commercial media habits of different demographic groups, including 16–34s, 35–54s, 55–74s and, for the first time, those aged 75+.
The report features perspectives from Global, Hearts United, JICMAIL, The Kite Factory, Lumen, Reach, Talon and WPP Media.
Download your free copy of 'Making Sense: The commercial media landscape 2026'
Last updated 08 September 2026