January 25, 2023
Estimated 33% of Viewers Multitask While Watching TV
- by Wayne Friedman , June 15, 2011
About one-third of U.S. viewers multitask while watching TV from live or time-shifted programming.
Surfing the Internet is the biggest activity -- 56% of all multitasking. But other activities earn high scores as well -- reading a book, magazine, or newspaper (44%), social networking (40%) and mobile phone texting (37%). This data comes from a recent Harris Interactive poll with Adweek surveying 2,309 U.S. adults in May of this year.
The survey says about one-third shop online while watching TV (29%). A smaller number of TV multitaskers -- 7% -- read a book on an electronic device.
Harris Interactive says multitasking soars while watching TV, although about 40% of U.S. viewers have DVR machines where they can stop and start TV shows to do other activities. The survey says this may be a result of Americans' decreasing amount of free leisure time.
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Young TV viewers are most likely to use electronic devices -- computers, phones and tablets -- for their multitasking efforts. Older adults will use more analog ways -- reading a book, magazine or newspaper.
Overall, men will use more electronic devices than women -- 20% of the time for mobile phones versus 16% of the time for women. Men will use a computer or tablet 8% of the time versus 6% for women. College graduates do more multitasking than non-graduates. About 3% say they don't watch TV at all.
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It pays to be careful about the difference between reach and duration. While a quick search didn't turn up the details on this study, similar surveys ask "have you done this in the last 30 days?" The duration of tv and internet overlap among multitaskers was around 20 minutes daily in a Nielsen 3-screen report. This isn't a large portion of total daily viewing.
Upteen years ago, my mother (and probably many other mothers) used to knit or crochet while watching TV. No one considered it multitasking or any other name. The tools have changed for many, but it is not new.
The surprising thing about this article is NOT that there is a lot of multitasking going on while watching TV. Back in 1983 a TV quantitative/qualitative rating service called TAA found a greater number of the audience multitasking... over 50%, if memory serves. Of course the service included "people talking to each other" as another form of interruption. So... if anything, the 33% estimates are probably lower than reality and not in the least bit surprising.
I love that so much multi-tasking is technology separate. Bck in the 1970 s my roommate and I played darts while watching MASH every nite.
The question about the amount of time spent multitasking is important, but not answered here. I think it was a Ball State a few years back that gave us much clearer insight into this.