# Companion Watching…What’s Good?

- Link: https://chatterblast.com/blog/companion-watching-whats-good/
- Published: 2015-09-23T14:38:20-04:00
- Author: Jackie Kollar

In the early 1900s a tech angel was introduced to society and is now known as the
_television set_. The screen changed the way we, as the human species, _absorbed
information_. Through bright lights and moving pictures, we all happily gathered
around the tube for news, sports and our daily dose of entertainment. The following
day, we’d all converse about what we saw at the office, over lunch or while out 
with friends.

Fast forward to a technology era where screens of _all shapes and sizes_ are available
to us, providing the **gateway** for interactive television. I’m talking about tablets,
smartphones, laptops, desktop computers and even wearable technology. No longer 
are we waiting until the _next day_ to talk about the _it-show_; we can’t even wait
until _the end of the episode_ _or event_. Now we talk and interact in the only 
time we know: [**real time**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time)**.**

[⌊Blog1⌉⌊Blog1⌉[

If there’s one thing each generation has slowly begun to lose, it’s our active _attention
span_. Finding the time to sit down in front of the television and watch an entire
show without interruption is no longer the norm. We’re using other forms of technology
to stay connected and in-the-loop. From the [game-winning goal](http://www.newsday.com/sports/olympics/t-j-oshie-u-s-hockey-team-fuel-olympics-social-media-frenzy-1.7091458)
of the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team, to the VMAs’ [Nicki vs Miley beef](http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/times-the-internet-perfectly-declared-itself-team-nicki#.fxNj62p6G),
or even that epic _[Game of Thrones plot twist](http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/game-of-thrones-season-5-finale-hilarious-twitter-reactions-2015156)_,
live events are not only what we want to watch, but immediately **REACT** to as 
well. We’re taking social _by storm_ and using our other devices to do so.

Enter: **companion watching**. The act of watching television and using a secondary
screen to respond in real time. Whether that’s following your favorite show, sharing
content or connecting digitally with other fans, it’s an immediate reaction based
on something broadcasted on television.

It’s become _so natural_ to use additional screens when watching television that
we often forget we’re taking part in companion watching and integrating social media
into our viewing habits. Don’t believe me? Here are a few examples of broadcasts
that influence companion watching:

**HASHTAGS:**

Entertainment television series became the pioneers for second screen involvement.
Series like_ The Voice _and _American Idol_ display hashtags along the bottom of
the screen to influence the digital conversation and incorporate the added voting
element. For example, throughout _The Voice, _the branded #TheVoice appears along
the bottom of the screen as a friendly reminder to get users talking about the television
show in the digital space.

[⌊Blog2⌉⌊Blog2⌉[

**@USERNAMES:**

While hashtags serve as a basis for online conversation and topics, television personalities
such as [_Daniel Tosh_](https://twitter.com/danieltosh) have taken it a step further
and proudly display their own social handle as a way to promote both themselves 
and the brand they stand behind. Furthermore, by offering himself, Tosh becomes 
a direct participant in your conversation.

[⌊Blog3⌉⌊Blog3⌉[

**LIVE TWEETING:**

Now that a hashtag and mention have been established, the next step for brands is
shaping and promoting the social conversation. With series like _The Walking Dead
_and _The Voice, _they’ve channeled the force of live tweeting by actively responding
to users as their tweets begin to roll in. Now we’re not only following the conversation
on social, but we’ve begun to follow the conversation as it becomes available on
the television screen. Livetweeting brings users into a new level of community participation.
I can finally talk shit on Adam Levine with potentially thousands of other users.

[⌊blog4⌉⌊blog4⌉[

**TWITTER STORYTELLING:**

More recently, certain live events, like large-scale sporting matches or award shows,
have taken _all of the information_ we shared in the digital space and formulated
a real time story. MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) compiled the tweets and hashtag
usage to inform decisions on voting for fan favorites based on engagement earned
online.

[⌊blog5⌉⌊blog5⌉[

Simply put, consumers’ television viewing habits have been changed by technology
and are leveraging social media. A recent _Viacom_ survey found that “Social TV 
viewers engage in up to **seven types of social TV activities, with 56 percent using
social media** application to interact online _during_ broadcasts. “

And for anyone out there still doubting the companion watching takeover, I’ll just
leave you with this study from [Nielson](http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/live-tv-social-media-engaged-viewers.html):

[⌊blog6⌉⌊blog6⌉[

Have you companion watched? Sure you have. Tell us about it in the comments!