Everyone is preparing for the end of the semester, whether it be by frantically studying or furiously grading. Both processes involve an intake of one intangible and seemingly unmeasurable thing: information. However, someone has quantified it.
The Global Information Industry Center, housed at UCSD, has come out with their latest report, stating that Americans “consumed information for about 1.3 trillion hours, an average of almost 12 hours per day.” The study, aptly titled How Much Information?: 2009 Report on American Consumers, goes on to offer more statistics about not only the time spent consuming information, but also about the sources of information. The researchers report that while traditional media (television and radio) still command much of our attention spans, the computer, not surprisingly, is challenging that by providing interactive exchange of information.
You can read the full report (PDF) and see for yourself. Take it all in.
