The vast majority of moms in America still listen to broadcast radio even as they continue to embrace new technology and devices. Edison Research’s annual “Moms and Media” report shows 78% of moms surveyed said they had listened to AM/FM radio during the past week either on-air or online. That’s even with last year’s results and up 13% compared to 2017’s survey. Overall, moms reported they had listened to an average of 1 hour and 31 minutes of radio in the prior 24 hours. “As much as moms get their music from online sources, they also consume traditional forms of media as well,” said Edison Research VP Melissa DeCesare during a webinar Thursday.
The number of moms who have consumed online audio also continues to expand. Edison says 87% of moms say they’ve used a streaming audio service. That’s up three points over a year ago. Seven in ten moms said it had been during the past week. DeCesare said the gap between weekly and monthly listening is closing, which she sees as an indication online audio is a behavior that online moms are doing regularly and frequently. Edison research also reveals 59% of moms of teens have learned about a streaming music service from their teenager, “As a parent you love the things that you can do together with your teenager, especially if it puts you in their world,” she said.
Reflecting their on-the-go lifestyle, a majority (52%) of moms said they have listened to internet radio by connecting a cell phone to their car stereo. When it comes to smartphones, they’re nearly at universal status. Edison says 94% of moms now own a smartphone. That’s up from 92% last year. “Just about every mom is carrying a smart phone and she is not afraid to use it,” DeCesare said.
It’s not just music that moms access online either. A majority (56%) say they’ve listened to a podcast. “That is steady growth year-over-year since 2016,” DeCesare said. That growth includes a third who said they have listened to a podcast in the past month and 21% who said it had been within the last week. “That is pretty promising when you think about how busy moms are,” said DeCesare. “There is a lot of other content in media that compete for her time and yet moms continue to show interest in finding weekly time for podcasts.”
One of the themes in Edison’s annual “Moms and Media” report is just how adaptive and tech-savvy women are. That’s illustrated by the rapid increase in the number of moms who own a smart speaker. Two years ago, just 6% did. Last year that number rose to 23%. Today Edison says a third (34%) own a smart speaker. In that race, Amazon is leading the way with 25% of moms saying that have an Amazon-powered smart speaker compared to 16% who have a Google Home unit.
“This is a big one for moms. It has the potential to be a real game changer,” said DeCesare. “Smart speakers can do so much already, but as their functionality continues to expand further, I think even more moms will embrace them and find ways to integrate that technology into the household.”
Based on those numbers it should be of little surprise that 39% of moms also said they own wireless headphones. “This makes complete sense,” DeCesare said. “Moms are so mobile on their smartphones they need to be able to listen to their content; if they can do it without the hassle of wires or chords, even better.”
Moms are on the internet an average of 24 additional minutes in 2019 then compared to a year ago, spending just two minutes shy of four hours a day online. That’s more time spent than any other medium. Television ranks second, at 2 hours and 24 minutes, followed by radio.
With all that time online, social networks are getting a lot of facetime with moms. None more than Facebook as 81% of moms say they’re currently using the social network. Interest in Pinterest keeps growing, with nearly two-thirds of moms saying this year they use the site. “Pinterest is the perfect fit for moms. This is where they go for party planning ideas and DIY projects. And as moms know, you appreciate that inspiration for craftiness wherever you can get it,” DeCesare said. Instagram is growing too, with a majority of mom saying they’re on the photo sharing site too.
As overall use of Facebook slipped during the past year, moms remain loyal—yet there are cracks showing. The number of moms who said they used Facebook more than any other social media dropped five points from last year. Even so, 64% of moms said Facebook still gets most of their social media time. “Moms still use Facebook to get what they need from it, but it is losing favor as the one they use the most,” DeCesare explained.
The findings are based on a national telephone survey of 1,500 people conducted in January and February among people aged 12 and older. Edison also supplemented the research with a national online survey of 4,126 people aged 12 and older, weighing the data to match the telephone survey’s demographics. That sample included a total of 176 moms from the telephone survey and 534 moms from the online survey.