Ofcom report identifies emerging 'generation gap' in young people's TV viewing

Younger people are switching off TV and radio in their droves in favor of online pursuits such as Facebook, leading to a growing “generation gap” in TV and radio.

A report by UK media regulator Ofcom said 16- to 24-year-olds spent an average of 148 minutes a day watching TV in 2013, down from 169 minutes in 2010 and compared to an average of 232 minutes for all viewers. Ofcom said it was traditional for younger people to consumer less TV and radio, but warned that the latest changes may be part of a structural shift, driven by the digital era, in which TV and radio -- in their traditional sense, at least -- go permanently out of fashion.