To say that mobile has taken over the world sounds like a hyperbolic statement, but is true none-the-less. While ownership of mobile devices has grown, so has time spent on devices according to eMarketer. It’s reported that “U.S. adults spend 12 hours and 7 minutes a day consuming media.”

Initially, this may seem surprising that time spent hasn’t plateaued over the years. When thinking about advertising, mobile devices are integral to almost all verticals and strategies. However, this news from eMarketer shows a bigger picture. This isn’t just saying that people are using their devices longer. It’s saying people are finding more ways in their everyday life to use mobile and that’s why time spent is growing. Think of the broader subset of tasks that people are completing via mobile devices: Watching YouTube instead of TV, streaming to podcasts during commutes, price comparing through the Amazon app while in-store, and this isn’t even considering the phenomenon of social media. All of the aforementioned things bring a host of possibilities to advertising.

eMarketer projects that time spent will continue to grow in future years, but only by a maximum of 42 minutes. After all, there are only so many hours in a day.