United States. A study conducted by the Centro de Investigaciones Pew, revealed that most American viewers use their mobile phone while watching TV.
In total, the survey revealed that 52% of mobile phone owners use their devices to stay connected while watching TV. However, in the 18-24 age group, this figure increases to 81%.
According to the results of the survey, 38% of cell phone owners use them to distract themselves during commercial outages, while 23% use them to exchange text messages with other people about the program they are watching.
In addition to the above, 22% use their mobile device to check the veracity of the data and facts presented on television. Visiting websites mentioned in a program and reading reviews or opining online about the program being watched, are also common practices.
Aaron Smith, a researcher at the Pew Project, explained some of the reasons for this trend, "thanks to the widespread adoption of mobile technologies, the once passive medium, with one-way flow of information, is often now a social contact activity," he said.
"Viewers are using these devices to find others who share their passions, speak out against programming that captures their attention, and go beyond what's broadcast," he added.
