Quick question: When you’re watching TV, do you talk during the entire show? When the commercials come on (provided you’re not skipping through them) do you only think and talk about the show you’ve been watching?
I’m guessing the answer is no. So then why did so much of the initial activity in the social TV space assume the opposite?
Yes, a lot of people watch TV with a second screen device in hand. But there’s no logical path that says they are using that device solely to interact with whatever is on the screen. Chances are high that if they’ve whipped out the iPhone, they are checking email, looking at a friend’s Facebook photos, checking the score of the game they’re not watching, or some other activity completely unrelated to the what’s on TV.
Active watching vs. Passive watching
- Passive watching: anything but the program related behavior or attention?
- Active watching: solely focusing on the program
In relation to time shifting, asynchronous activities of talking about the program.
Studies show that live sporting events and reality game shows were most likely to get fans interacting (either via Twitter or via polls and quizzes) during the show.
- by nature: Fans talk and shout in front of TV
- a lot of break (pauses)
- not-time-consuming talk: “Go Nets!”
The other type of shows that get a lot of live interaction during the show are live event shows like the Super Bowl or the Oscars or even the presidential inauguration.