The amount of time people in the US spend consuming digital media is set to overtake hours spent watching television for the first time this year, marking a significant tipping point in the shift away from traditional forms of media.

The average adult will spend five hours and nine minutes a day online or consuming other types of digital media this year, an increase of 38 minutes, or 16 per cent, compared with 2012, according to new estimates from eMarketer. The amount of time spent watching TV is projected to fall by seven minutes to four hours and 31 minutes.

In another pivotal change, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets will overtake the computer as the primary means of consuming digital media. The amount of time people spend using mobile devices to surf the web will increase by nearly an hour to two hours and 21 minutes, compared to one hour and 33 minutes in 2012.