Cellphone Use During TV


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Submitted by Daniel Vergara on Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:11am.

Have you notice how most people are glued to their phones even while watching TV? I came across this article that sheds further light on this emerging trend and I guessed it grabbed my attention because I do the same thing. In the middle of whatever particular show, I usually text friends about the show and use my various apps during commercial breaks. The article shares a lot of user statistics regarding the population of Americans that watch TV while texting including their gender and age. It also mentions how the growth of smart phones was the primary reason for the surge in cellphone usage while watching television.

I agree with most of the findings in the article because it is extremely difficult not to be on your cellphone, especially when you home relaxing or engaging in a leisure activity. I find that there's always much to learn about your phone and you would always want to discover new things. Additionally, smartphones have become little sized computers in our pockets and thus making our access to information, people and things very easier and readily accessible. I’m curious to know, does anyone else do this? And what do you use your cellphone for while watching TV?

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Carmel Addae Says:
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 12:59pm

I’m really addicted to my cell phone and I always have it with me almost everywhere I go. Also, come to think about it, I always seem to be using my phone while I’m watching TV mostly texting or on Facebook.

Haymar Lim Says:
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 9:00am

I do this all the time. I find having my phone with me especially useful when I'm watching sports. I chat with friends and enhance the experience of watching a game.

Costa Lales Says:
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:40pm

I am not much of a multitask-er therefore I do not do this myself. I prefer to be engaged in one thing. I do know many people who are on there cell phones, computers, or even ipods while watching T.V., which is why television companies are starting to come out with internet TVs where you can go online while watching TV.

Duncan Asiedu Says:
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:10pm

I am guilty of doing such a practice. Its my way of avoiding advertisements (especially those ads that get repeated during every commercial break). Dish network recently released a feature on for their DVR service which allows viewers to skip ads of previously recorded shows, a feature that has drawn criticism from TV advertisers. This development along with the one just mentioned by Danny, spells trouble for the TV ad industry.

Francisco Mendoza Says:
Fri, 07/20/2012 - 1:52am

Duncan, I also use my phone every time I watch T.V. Not only is it a way of avoiding advertisements for me, but also I feel as the show I watch is more interesting when I talk about it with my friends. On most smart phones you can now watch T.V shows, do you think that that app is being used a lot? I don't think you would be able to text or do anything else with your phone besides watch the T.V show.

George Nantwi Says:
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 10:49am

Danny, the findings in the piece are not surprising. I, like most of my friends, are usually on our cellphones when we are watching TV, especially during sports games or special programs like award shows. I know this because we are either tweeting or updating statuses on Facebook (I prefer Twitter), and texting or reading about it on our devices. It’s almost as if someone can follow along and know exactly what is going on without watching. I think this is just a result of a culture that preach multitasking in almost everything we do and that mentality has naturally crept into our personal lives. I wonder what the implications are for advertisers on TV shows and how they will address this trend.

Rebekah Wallin Says:
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 11:07am

George, in response to your last question, here are some interesting thoughts from an article about this report on CNET:

What these findings suggest is that mobile devices are increasingly becoming tied to the TV viewing experience, something that broadcasters, paid TV providers, and advertisers will likely want to tap for revenue in the future.

Marketers will likely make their advertising more interactive to engage consumers on a more personal level from their mobile devices. The big question is whether consumers will do more than simply check Web sites or update statuses.

In other words, will viewers also make purchases from their TVs? This is something PayPal is exploring. The company, now owned by eBay plans to allow TV viewers to buy advertised good, make donations to political campaigns and charities, and ask advertisers to text them with more information from their TVs. PayPal expects to start offering the service as early as this fall.

George Nantwi Says:
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 11:14am

Thanks Rebekah. It's going to be very interesting to see where this trend ends up.

Daniel Um Says:
Thu, 07/19/2012 - 9:22am

This is one of very important trends. User are using multi-devices at the same time. If we like this trend or not, we should think about this user's behavior. For example, NLT is also mobile publication we are currently working on. Question is how we can create engaging story telling with NLT when a user is using it with TV at the same time!