Multiscreen Multitasking

Talk about killing two birds with one stone - according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project report, more Americans on their phones while watching TV. About half of U.S. mobile phone owners use their devices while watching TV, a new study suggests. While most (38%) are clicking away as a commercial filler, many are enhancing their viewing experience by interacting along with the program.

About 23% of cellphone users exchange text messages with their friends about the same show they are simultaneously watching on TV; around 20% of them visit websites mentioned on TV; 22% used their phone to check whether something they heard on television was true; 11% of cellphone owners use their devices to read what others are writing online about a particular television program; another 11% posts comments on online boards using their cellphones; and 6% used their phone to vote for a reality show contestant. Both men and women equally are glued to their smartphone while watching TV with the 18-24 age bracket leading the way (81%), followed by the 25-34 group (72%).

The massive growth of smartphones and how we use them is infiltrating every aspect of our lives. The most basic task of making a phone call seems miniscule compared to the many other things we do with smartphones. Our personal devices are also becoming the primary mobile device we use for work with all the BYOD initiates being implemented. It’s also clear that with all the other tasks and activities we use our smartphones for, providing a solid BYOD policy within an organization is important to keeping corporate resources safe. Not sure how I turned the results of a TV survey into a BYOD challenge but there you have it. And somehow the famous words of Homer Simpson now have much more meaning, ‘Then we figured out we could park them in front of the TV. That's how I was raised, and I turned out TV.’

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