If you find that your spending more time on your tablet or smartphone while watching TV, your not alone. Research by Nielsen shows that a mammoth number of users like to be ‘doing stuff’ on their mobile device whilst watching TV.
Watching TV needs mobile accessories
The report title ‘Double Vision – Global Trends in Tablet and Smartphone Use while Watching TV‘ looked at the viewing habits of mobile owners during the course of a month. For US users it revealed that 86% of tablet owners watched TV while using their device and 88% of phone users did at least once during the month.
Other Countries are also getting used to multi-screen entertainment. In the UK 80% of tablet users browse the web while watching TV, and 78% do the same with smartphones.
Around a quarter of those surveyed used the mobile device several times daily while watching television.Some areas are not so keen though, Italians and Germans spent the least time watching two screens, but the trend for a second screen is definately rising and will continue to do so.
When it comes to what people are doing on their mobile devices, email checking came top, but viewers also want to engage with the content on-screen. Viewers look up information that is related to the show or movie they are watching, they also look up prices and deals of products advertised on television as well.
This interaction with TV also called second screen interaction is expected to grow rapidly. From numerous TV apps and even program specific apps, viewers can control the TV, find more information on stars, plotlines and teasers etc.
Many top shows encourage online interaction and have Twitter hashtags to interact with. Add to this Facebook liking and sharing, and it’s not difficult to see why a couch potato’s best friend is their phone or tablet (not forgetting the old pc or laptop of course).
When you consider how many TV apps are available on both tablets and smartphones, then add social networking from Twitter, Facebook, voting apps on talent shows, voice control, as well as many other ways to interact with the TV, then you can see why viewers are getting more and more incentivized to get online while the TV is playing. Hell you can even make money while watching TV.
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