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/