Overview
- The 2026 edition of Burda-Verlag’s 'Screens in Motion' was reported July 6 and quantifies decision fatigue by measuring minutes per selection and annualizing those figures into days per year.
- Young viewers aged 16–29 spend about 19 minutes per session choosing what to watch, which the study extrapolates to roughly 4.8 days a year, while 30–49-year-olds average 15 minutes and those over 50 about 8 minutes.
- Men take slightly longer than women to decide, averaging 15 minutes per session versus 13 minutes, which the report translates into about 3.8 and 3.3 days per year respectively.
- The findings come from an online YouGov survey of roughly 2,000 German internet users conducted in March 2026 and reflect Burda’s long-running tracking of the market since 2018.
- Sixty-eight percent of respondents said reading reviews or information beforehand makes choice easier, suggesting platforms could reduce user stress by improving discovery tools such as metadata, reviews, and curated guides.