Second Screen Syndrome

There’s no denying that smartphones have become a fixture of our daily lives, at least in the developed world, to the point where many of us are faced with the grim reality of being addicted to our devices. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s another phenomenon popping up, “second screen syndrome.”

Mary Meeker, a venture capitalist with Bond Capital, presented some rather interesting findings in a 2019 “Internet Trends” report. According to data from Nielsen, the TV metrics company, 88 percent of Americans "use a second digital device while watching TV." That’s right, 88 percent of the people watching television have their attention divided, with much of it likely focused on the smaller screen just before their eyes. Exploring the data just a bit further, Nielsen reports that seventy-one percent of Americans "look up content related to content they are watching," while 41 percent of Americans are busy messaging "friends/family about content they are watching."

Is this a troubling trend? Perhaps for some. Humans, after all, have a proven track record of not being very good at multitasking. But in an age where our attention is continuously divided, this trend may not come as much of a surprise, especially since most of us are already doing it if the numbers are to be believed. Just one more way in which tech is changing the everyday reality of our lives.

Looking for some tech related reads? Visit our online library at Joygeeks for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.