There are some great shows on TV like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad which I find requires my undivided attention. Other shows, in fact most shows I enjoy, don’t get me nearly as absorbed nor do they all need my constant attention (I’m looking at you Modern Family). To be clear: my opinion on TV shows doesn’t stem from whether or not they take all my focus.
Turns out, most Americans don’t give shows all their attention either: 52% are on their mobiles while ‘watching’ TV. Pew Internet Research did the research and found among other things that only 38% of people tune out commercials by checking their mobile. I’m amazed people watch them in the first place.
Taken together, that works out to 52% of all adult cell owners who are “connected viewers”—meaning they took part in at least one of these activities in the 30 days preceding our survey.2 Young adults in particular stand out for their embrace of multi-screen viewing experiences, as some 81% of mobile owners ages 18-24 reported using their cell phones during televised programming in the preceding 30 days.
I know this isn’t directly game related; however, it is interesting seeing that people seem to move towards interactive experiences while getting a passive one.