The Pew Internet & American Life Project published a new report this week on how people use their cell phones while watching television. According to Pew's most recent survey, which was conducted among 2,254 American adults in March and April of this year, 52% of all cell phone owners now incorporate mobile devices into their TV watching experiences. The report calls this trend the rise of "connected viewers."
People give various reasons for using their phones while watching TV.
38% of cell owners used their phone to keep themselves occupied during commercials or breaks in something they were watching 23% used their phone to exchange text messages with someone else who was watching the same program in a different location 22% used their phone to check whether something they heard on television was true 20% used their phone to visit a website that was mentioned on television 11% used their phone to see what other people were saying online about a program they were watching, and 11% posted their own comments online about a program they were watching using their mobile phone 6% used their phone to vote for a reality show contestant
The demographic most likely to engage in "connected viewing" is by far young people, with 81% of 18-24 year olds reporting that they use their cell phones while watching TV. For what it's worth, cell phone owners with an annual income of $50,000 or more and African American cell phone owners are two other groups slightly more likely to participate in interactive TV experiences. Also, unsurprisingly, smartphone users participate in these activities more than owners of basic cell phones.
EdLab Relevance
Check out this graph: (Maybe we can use this to create our own visualization for NLT!)
Vialogues provides a platform for interacting with others watching the same content, posting your comments about what you're watching, and even for taking polls! Plus, you can do it all in the same place, and there's aren't any commercials. I think this report proves the value of Vialogues, and it should encourage EdLab to continue exploring the development of mobile apps (or a mobile website) for Vialogues. What do you think about this potential?
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