Nielsen Study Finds Mobile Engagement High During Television Viewing

According to the latest research from the Nielsen company, Americans are increasingly tied to their mobile devices, particularly when watching television.

Illustrating our multitasking ways, Nielsen finds that four out of ten tablet and smartphone owners in the US are actively engaged with their device(s) while watching TV.

By comparison, only 14 percent of eReader owners said they watched TV while using their device on a daily basis.

And what are smartphone and tablet owners doing while watching TV? Checking email. Email was the top activity for both men and women during television programming and commercial breaks. In addition, women reported engaging in social networking more than men, while men checked sports scores more often.

So how should an advertiser interpret this information?

According to Nielsen, advertisers should note that while viewers may be splitting attention between two (or even three) screens, “19 percent of smartphone and tablet owners searched for product information and 13 percent searched for coupons or deals while in front of the television.”