Is the Smartphone the New 'First Screen?'

Nearly half of all people 18 to 34 in the United Kingdom consider mobile a more important screen than television for media consumption, a study by Weve has found.

That finding suggests mobile devices now are firmly established as competitors to conventional media channels in the United Kingdom, Weve argues.

When including screens used for work or personal purposes, 40 percent of respondents surveyed consider the PC the most important screen, especially for work activity. But 28 percent of respondents say that mobile devices are now their first screen for media consumption, ahead of TV at 27 percent.

And demographics matter, as 46 percent of respondents 18 to 34 year consider their mobile device as their first and most important screen.

Over a quarter of surveyed consumers turn to their mobile first to interact with online content, rising to 45 percent among 18-34 year olds.

Nearly 10 percent of consumers turn to their mobile first to make online purchases. 

The nationwide survey of 2,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 55 (or older) found that  about 39 percent say their mobile device is the screen they look at most often.

One might argue those findings could have implications beyond the advertising and media business, and affect fortunes for video entertainment providers.

Many would note that rates of television ownership among Millennials are lower than might have been expected in past decades, mirroring a trend to rent rather than own homes and cars.

Nielsen also found in 2011 that U.S. television ownership actually dropped for the first time.

That is a break from past behavior, as in 2010, Nielsen had estimated the typical U.S. home owned more than two TV sets each.

One might argue, impressionistically, that younger people view televisions as quite optional, when forming their own households. Though lack of income is an issue for some, quite often, even consumers who can afford to own televisions simply do not buy them, getting most of their video from streaming sites, viewed on tablets, PCs and phones.