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US adults with DVR’s belong to upscale and print-oriented group: Study
MUMBAI: US adults whose households have a digital video recorder (DVR) are more upscale than those that do not and are more likely to be heavy readers of magazines and newspapers and are also heavy users of the Internet.according to the latest data from Mediamark Research Inc.,(MRI).
According to the Fall 2005 MRI data release, 8.6 per cent of US adults reported having a DVR in their household. That percentage rose to 11.2 per cent of adult households in the Spring 2006 release. The survey period for this release was March 2005 to early May 2006.
The spring 2006 data show that 36.8 per cent of adults with DVR’s have a college education and 17.1 per cent have average household income exceeding $150,000. Within the entire adult population, 25.2 per cent graduated college and 8% have an average income exceeding $150,000, states an official release issued by the research firm.
Of adults with DVR’s in the household, 15.7 per cent have home values exceeding $500,000 compared with 9 per cent of the entire adult population.
In terms of media usage, adults in DVR households are 43 per cent more likely to be heavy readers of magazines (defined as the top quintile of users, based on number of magazines read) than the general adult population. They are 40% more likely to be heavy readers of newspapers (defined as the top quintile of readers, based on number of newspapers read) than the general population.
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Adults in DVR households also tend to use the Internet more than households without DVR’s, as they are 81 per cent more likely to be heavy Internet users (the top quintile of users based on number of times used in a month) than the general population, the release adds.
On the other hand, adults in DVR households tend to watch less TV than households without DVR’s; they are 23 per cent less likely to be heavy TV viewers (the top quintile of users based on number of one-half hours viewed per week) than is the general adult population.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
