24 Hours in a Day: A Listening Update to the Time Studies

Time is an important communication variable that has been impacted by new technology and changed the way people communicate. This study of communication time use by college students provides an update to earlier studies by factoring in computer and telephone use—media that have forced a multitasking approach to communication. Undergraduate students (N = 680) at a large Eastern university reported that they spend most of their time (48%) communicating with their friends, followed by time in school, at work, and with families. Students spend 24% of their time listening, 20% speaking, 13% using the Internet, 9% writing, and 8% reading.