If you watch a lot of video on YouTube your eyes must be killing you. Well, really what it means is you are watching a lot less television, apparently. A Harris Poll of 2,309 U.S. adults, of whom 363 are frequent YouTube viewers, conducted online by Harris Interactive between December 12 and 18, 2006, found that almost one in three of these frequent YouTube users say they are watching less TV as a result of the time they spend there. A whopping 73% of frequent YouTube users say they would visit the site less if it started including short video ads before every clip. Here are some of the studies findings:
* 66% claim they are sacrificing other activities when on YouTube * 36% say their visits to the site are most likely to have been at the expense of visiting other websites * 32% say their time spent watching TV is next most likely to have taken a hit * 20% think that YouTube also pre-empts email and other online social networking * 19% defer work/homework * 12% are not watching DVD(s) and not spending time with friends and family in person * YouTube usage is greatest among the group already hardest to reach through television advertising: young males. 76% of 18 to 24 year old males say they have watched a video at YouTube, and 41% visit YouTube frequently. * 42% of online U.S. adults say they have watched a video at YouTube, and 14% say they visit the site frequently.
