Computer Use by State: Is Your State in the Top 10?
Branson Kendall
Aug 26, 2024
Scroll down. Ping. Tweet. Post. Click. Scroll up. Rinse and repeat.
Does this sound familiar? These days, it seems we spend our free time on our computers consuming media. Even when we’re out, we frequently use our digital devices. In fact, the average American spends about nine hours and 39 minutes a day in front of a screen.
And with that much usage, you might want to consider how much you’re on your own computer. If you’re like most people, you like to surf, stream, game, and work from your computer without getting slowed down. If so, make sure you invest in the best price and speeds available in your area to keep your computer time as optimal as possible.
Because screens have virtually become the core of our daily lives, the VerizonSpecials.com team decided to find out which states spent the most and least amount of free time on computers.
Methodology
We looked at data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to determine the average hours of leisure time spent on computers for 48 states. The data covered the years 2013 to 2017.
ATUS recorded time spent downloading files, using social media, browsing the web, and other leisure-related activities. Some activities were excluded, such as games, computer use for work, and other household actions such as online banking or shopping.
Intriguing Findings
- Americans spent an average of 90 minutes of leisure time on the computer every day. If they worked at the national minimum wage for the same amount of time, they would have earned $3,969.38 a year.
- In 11 states, men averaged more time on the computer, and in 31 states women spent more time. Residents of Alaska averaged two hours and 46 minutes a day on the computer. That’s almost 1,010 hours a year, or 42 days—enough time to fly to the moon and back seven times.
- Delaware residents spent the least amount of time on their computers, with an average of 43 minutes a day. In a year that’s 261 hours or just under 11 days, almost long enough to watch all of Game of Thrones four times.
- Folks in Alaska, Arkansas, and Mississippi spent the most time on their computers for leisure. The top 10 fastest marathon times ever recorded are shorter than the time residents of these three states spent on their computer daily.
Top 10 States That Spent the Most Leisure Time on the Computer
State | Average daily time on computer | Rank |
|---|---|---|
Alaska | 2:46:48 | 1 |
Arkansas | 2:09:00 | 2 |
Mississippi | 2:07:12 | 3 |
Iowa | 1:52:48 | 4 |
Florida | 1:51:00 | 5 |
Tennessee | 1:50:24 | 6 |
Arizona | 1:46:48 | 7 |
New Hampshire | 1:45:36 | 8 |
Missouri | 1:43:12 | 9 |
Alabama | 1:42:00 | 10 |
10 States That Spent the Least Leisure Time on the Computer
State | Average daily time on computer | Rank |
|---|---|---|
Delaware | 0:43:48 | 47 |
South Dakota | 0:54:36 | 46 |
Vermont | 0:56:24 | 45 |
North Dakota | 1:07:12 | 44 |
Idaho | 1:10:12 | 43 |
Indiana | 1:14:24 | 42 |
Massachusetts | 1:15:00 | 41 |
Kentucky | 1:17:24 | 38 |
Michigan | 1:17:24 | 38 |
Utah | 1:17:24 | 38 |
About VerizonSpecials.com: VerizonSpecials.com is an online authorized retailer of Verizon. Verizonspecials.com blog is for informational purposes and does not represent the views of Verizon.