Deloitte Survey Shows Proliferation of “Second-Screening”

By Michael Foster, Big4.com Blogger

More consumers are multitasking while watching television as second-screen devices increase in popularity, according to a new report by Deloitte.

The report showed that 80 per cent of people talk to other people while watching television, and several survey respondents said that they engage in a secondary activity while watching t.v.

In total 24% of respondents said that they use a second screen while watching t.v., with half of 16-24 year olds connecting with friends and family with tools such as sms, email, Twitter, and Facebook while watching t.v.

Young people also frequently discuss t.v. through social media. Demographic variations were considerable, with 79% of respondents over 55 saying that they never talk about t.v. on the internet.

While some advertisers and content producers worry about the impact of distracted t.v. watching on the medium, others said it was an exciting opportunity. Nonetheless, the habit of second screening is unlikely to change, according to Deloitte Director of Technology Paul Lee. “Second screening’s impact is far greater in driving conversations about a programme, as opposed to interaction with it. Second screening may well end up with a similar status as eating in front of the TV: an everyday experience for some; absolutely unthinkable for others.”

Nonetheless, the practice is unlikely to disappear, according to Lee. “One thing is certain: it is here for good,” he said.