OTTAWA – As the Internet helps to build engagement with television viewers, Anglophones are increasingly watching TV and using the Internet at the same time, according to two new reports from Media Technology Monitor (MTM).
The first report, Multitasking – TV and the Internet, investigates the relationship between television and the Internet and how Canadians are increasingly using them simultaneously.
Highlights from the report include:
– Two-thirds of Anglophones multitask online while they watch TV, more than two and a half times the rate from nearly a decade ago;
– Heavy multitaskers spend more time than average with both TV and the Internet; and
– More than a third of Anglophones research products they see in commercials while watching TV.
The second report, Social TV, looks at how Canadians use social networking and television together as part of a second-screen experience.
Highlights from that report include:
– Social networks permit viewers to engage directly with TV programs, fans or hosts (e.g., "like" on Facebook; "follow" on Twitter) and just over 18% of Canadians do this;
– Despite hype in the media suggesting social networks will save live TV, this behaviour is still in its infancy with less than 10% of Canadians commenting on social networks regarding a TV show while they’re watching it;
– Social TV viewers watch a lot of TV, particularly online. Online TV watching, however, is not at the expense of watching TV on a traditional set. Rather, Social TV viewers report watching the same amount of regular TV as non-Social TV viewers.
The reports are available now to subscribers on the MTM website. MTM is the research arm of the CBC.
