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/
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