Today's New York Times has a round-up of findings from this year's U.S. Census Statistical Abstract, including this shocking tidbit:

Adolescents and adults now spend, on average, more than 64 days a year watching television, 41 days listening to the radio and a little over a week using the Internet. Among adults, 97 million Internet users sought news online last year, 92 million bought a product, 91 million made a travel reservation, 16 million used a social or professional networking site and 13 million created a blog.

Could it really be that Americans use the Internet only a fraction -- about one-tenth -- of the time that they watch television? I think most blog readers would find that kind of bizarre, and probably distribute their time inversely. And clearly this stat doesn't count time at work, where pretty much the entire day for some workers could be counted as "time on the Internet." Or am I overestimating the number of people who sit in front of a computer for work?

For online marketers or Web businesses, these stats might be a good thing: There's plenty of room to grow! After all, 27% of Americans don't even have the Web at home yet. (The time someone spends online also increases once they get broadband.)

But much as I love the Internet, these figures make me wonder: Perhaps there is a limit to how much online leisure time Americans can stomach. Is TV just easier to zone out to during free time? That could be good news for Old Media, at least until the Internet becomes more TV-like. In any case, since you have to buy the Statistical Abstract, I can't read it to get any more more context. (And I can't reach their media relations).

Maybe a reader with a copy can shed some light on this pretty surprising finding.

[UPDATE: A commenter points out that the Abstract is available free here. Haven't had time to review it in depth yet, but just flipping through it, it's full of little snapshots of American life. For example: 7% of Americans read a blog last year. That's more than attended a classical music performance (2.4%) but fewer than played billiards (9%). A challenge to commenters: Come up with the most interesting/funny/illuminating statistical contrast.]