In with the New and Out with the Old

With new technologies and the way the Internet has grown throughout convergence we see the decay of our old ways. Many adolescents would have their first job as a paperboy but with the increase in the use of portable devices I feel this job, that would start children out with the value of money, is becoming lost. The majority of society that have access to the internet have free access to the news as soon as it breaks through the use of the applications and notifications, which we can browse with our morning coffee or as I have discussed whilst watching our television.

Although, there is an advantage here that as less newpapers are needed the more rainforests and trees we can be saving. But where does this leave our local newsagents? With supermarkets providing the newspaper when we need it I feel that smal local newsagents will begin to feel the struggle as more people get consumed by this growing entity that is technology.

We have already seen recession hit our high streets with the closure of the smaller local stores. Although the Internet is something that these local stores have turned to it is also causing an issue.

As people are sitting on their sofas in their homes in front of their televisions using their portable device, they become comfortable and relaxed. With e-commerce, shopping online has grown with convergence. Surrounded by the comfort of there own home this allows easy access to buy online. With no need to even leave the house to buy groceries, clothes, shoes or books, although saving fuel consumption, we are encouraging our society to be lazy. No wonder that there is a rise in obesity in the UK.

Our nation is becoming dependent on technology. 

It was inevitable, convergence was going to change the way we watch television, view films and use technology. There was nothing that society could do but sit there and be consumed by what the world was inventing for them. I am sure that there is many more new and wonderful ways to yet be invented and I will continue to think that we are poisoning society with unsociable technologies.

Keeping the audiences attention on the television will continue to be an endless battle for the industry as we are unfortunately so easily distracted. 

Not everyone is perfect and I am indeed guilty of the use of second screen and being distracted by convergence from more important matters. But I defiantly wouldn’t say that I do it as often as I have discovered throughout my posts. I know how easy it is to pick up your mobile to browse the internet or go on social media but I feel if we put our portable devices down for one minute to appreciate sitting with our family and watching the television we might find something interesting like socialising.

The rudeness of being sat round a table for dinner and more than one member of the table is on their phones is frustrating, wondering when they will realise there is more to life than the person on the other end of device. If you are that person just think about how your making the table feel, no conversation participation and your just being rude.

The TV License for On Demand

With the use of second screen and content on multi media platforms this has expressed a concern for the current industry. With the use of mobile devices that content can now be viewed on it has called for less need to watch television. The want to renew your television license becomes a struggle to whether you will be receiving the use out of your payment.

In an article from February 2015, produced by the BBC, it states ‘The fee is “becoming harder and harder to justify” given changes in the media, according to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.’

As society is becoming more and more familiarised with the modern technology, the licence fee costing £145.50 yearly for live television needs to be modernised. The BBC in agreement with this, have identified that the new use of technology is proving an issue to sustain as television users find alternative ways. 

Recently in an article in The Guardian, TonyHall (the Director General of the BBC) gave his vision. Regarding the BBC licence fee he states;

‘He doesn’t mind how the BBC is funded just so long as it’s a universal fee, preferably the licence fee, and welcomed MPs’ support for extending the charge to people who only watch catch up television’.

The impact that this will have on those that choose to watch catch up television may well be negative,  for those that simply wish to use on demand services to catch up on their favourite shows. The BBC brought live television to their on demand service, BBC iPlayer so therefore I agree that this service should bring a fee.  This is seeing unfair disadvantages to the household TV license payers.

The use of multi media platforms and on demand services from public service broadcasters, are free and these are being used through the Internet which we pay for. Perhaps if sustaining the TV licence fee is becoming difficult and people are now watching the television more often, then TV catch up and on demand should become subscription services. This could then lead to less distractions by the younger generation and lift there heads from their mobile devices, as the younger generation may not be able to afford to use pay subscription services for catch up or on demand.

As the population becomes more computer savvy we see that more and more people are using the Internet illegally to watch shows and films. This is again causing an effect on  commerce in the industry. The more we feel we are getting away with watching illegal content the more likely that society will continue to do so. This is then also distracting viewers from the importance of viewing a film as an experience and an occasion.

See more at:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/03/tony-halls-vision-for-the-bbc-six-things-we-learned

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31623659

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2013-14/bbc_annualreport_201314_bbcexecutive_managingourfinances.pdf

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/jun/05/second-screen-companion-apps-tv-broadcasters

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/229324/driven-to-distraction-the-second-screen-dilemma.html

The Use of Social Media as a Distraction

It is proven that mobile devices are currently a big part in the way we wish to spend our television experiences. In the 2012 Ericsson Consumer Lab Report, '67 percent of viewers used tablets, smartphones or laptops in their everyday viewing, this is for both video consumption and to enable a social media experience whilst watching television.'

Social media is widely used by the population to communicate between each other, family and friends. Such social media sites now allow for such things as trending so that people can have access to what everyone on the social media site is talking about. For example, the Brit Awards 2015 saw Madonna being pulled down a flight of stairs by her dancers who were taking off her cape (that was still attached round her neck). Seconds after the incident had happened this was all over social media people that weren't even watching the program were reading about the incident and before long many videos were posted on Facebook and Twitter.

Im guessing many people sort to pause and rewind so they could post the video of the poor popstar taking a tumble. With the rate that news can hit social media is outstanding with new features to share posts and videos many things can go viral in a matter of seconds. 

Social media is becoming our morning newspaper. Whilst the morning television is on we are picking up our devices to check our social media sites. 

This allowance for public opinions on social media can also see advantages and disadvantages on the television and film producers. If people's opinion on certain content is positive and gives a good feedback this is going to have a advantage on the number of people who will then want to watch the program or film. Where as on the other hand negative feedback will have the opposite affect. 

These opinions can be cast whilst watching the program or film and many of them are. Taking place whilst content is being aired is the opinion on certain characters and plot lines.

IBM state in November 2013, 'As social media becomes more popular and pervasive every day, its power to influence the value of brands and companies grows with every new blog or public forum posting.'

We are showing that our constant opinions and commentary  on content is having an influence on the media. The industry have access to what we the viewers are saying and talking about and they are using this to their advantage to which then can advantage us. By bad press comes better content as the industry can read opinions on where we as audience members feel they are going wrong without having to personally approach or email the public service broadcasters or producers.

See more at : http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2012/consumerlab/tv_video_consumerlab_report.pdf

http://brainworks.com.br/wp-content/uploads/SMA_YTD03069CAEN.pdf

Different Age Groups watching the Television

A study of the viewing habits for different age groups show where the most television and film is being watched. Here clearly at home during the evening is the most frequent use of watching television and film across all ages. Where as we can see the younger generation of  ages 16-24 years held the highest percentage of broadly viewing content outside of the home as well as in.    . 

You can see that with the older generation the need for viewing content outside the home isn't important. The older generation are not consumed by the latest technologies as much as the younger generation are as they were bought up in a world that saw watching television as a family occasion. There were no mobile device distractions as the television held the attention of many families around the world. Submerging themselves into the story and the world of there favourite programs or soaps these traditions now seem lost.

The BBC states:

"In 2003 there were 2.03 television sets per UK household but by 2012, this had reduced to 1.83 sets, according to the TeleScope report."

This shows that the younger generation is much more consumed by the use of their devices no matter where they are. With technologies of 3G and 4G now growing in the United Kingdom internet can reach us almost anywhere unless you are unlucky to live in those rural places where signal fails to reach.

Not only are these devices distracting us in our homes but with the use of them almost anywhere we are also being as rude to using them in restaurant’s when we are surrounded by family or when we are having a drink with our friends. Trying to gain the attention of that someone at the table, who would rather be speaking to someone over their mobile device than to you? Highlights the frustration that the television broadcasters are facing to try and win the attention of their audiences.

See more at: http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2014/consumerlab/tv-media-2014-ericsson-consumerlab.pdf

Second Screen viewing while Watching TV

Evidence states that most consumers of television maintain a separate use on their devices from the content that is currently showing on the television screen.

If tablet and smartphone users are using their devices whilst watching their content are they being distracted by the device or are they using their device in conjunction with the content on the television screen?

In this graph from Nielson, we can see that the highest percentages of tablet and smartphone users are using their device for unrelated business. But, we can also see that 49% of tablet owners were using their device to look up information on the content.

This 49% of tablet owners were searching content which could be actor information, further story information or information regarding the location of the content. 

Thanks to the internet and second screen we have instant access to more information, to greater understand the content that we are watching whilst we are watching it. 

Why is this necessary when the program is being played?

Well, it isn't necessary, but it is so easy that our impatient selves have to pull our attention away to know more about the content when we should be paying our attention too the content.

Is use in conjunction with the content still distracting the users from what is being shown on the television? 

Well, with a device that has multiple uses whether using it to research information on the content that they are watching or browsing emails, this still moves the audience attention from the content on the television screen to the device. Therefore still distracting the audiences and leading them to miss vital aspects of the program or show.

I wanted to gain the opinion of someone within the television industry to explore their perspective on the distraction in second screen.  Unfortunately anyone is yet to reply. Albert Cheng the executive for the American television broadcaster ABC has made a comment on second screen distraction. ABC did a number of tests with their Grey’s Anatomy show pushing out contextual information within second screen applications, the results of these tests were that the viewers just didn’t care enough about it. Albert Cheng stated “It was interesting to viewers, but not essential,”.  As well as “Second screen becomes a distraction” this is when the engagement happens with the application it ends up taking the attention away from the story of the show.

See more at:
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2013/action-figures--how-second-screens-are-transforming-tv-viewing.html
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/229324/driven-to-distraction-the-second-screen-dilemma.html
https://gigaom.com/2013/09/11/abc-executive-second-screen-apps-can-be-a-distraction/