AdvertiseMint

Grow your business with Facebook, Instagram & TikTok advertising. Let's talk 844-236-4686.

  • Services
    • Facebook Advertising Agency
    • Advertising Agency for Amazon
    • TikTok Advertising Agency
    • Google Ads Advertising Agency
    • Instagram Advertising Agency
    • Snapchat Advertising Agency
    • LinkedIn Advertising Agency
    • Spotify Advertising Agency
    • Pinterest Advertising Agency
    • YouTube Advertising Agency
  • Locations
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • 844-236-4686
  • Get Started
Home / Marketing / Study Shows That Viewers Use Their Phones While Watching TV

August 16, 2017

Study Shows That Viewers Use Their Phones While Watching TV

Photo Courtesy of Facebook IQ

Have you ever kept your phone in a desk drawer or left it in a different room while you watched TV? That’s okay. Most U.S. users would share your resounding no, according to a Facebook IQ study.

The study—”TV Watching in the Digital Age: Consumer Attention and Engagement” by Tobii Pro Insight and commissioned by Facebook—analyzed in-home eye tracking of 100 U.S. users who watch TV. Results found that 94% of TV viewers kept their smartphones with them while watching a show, creating a multi-screening experience. Furthermore, during their TV time, users only looked at the TV screen 53% of the time.

Additionally, Facebook IQ found that TV ad breaks were peak phone usage periods. Facebook users who posted that they’d be watching the premiere of a popular cable TV drama would sometimes more than triple their Facebook activity during ad breaks.

It comes as no surprise that Millennials now consume more mobile experiences than TV time. According to analyzed data on Millennial media behaviors, 21.1 billion hours were spent on mobile consumption in Q4 2016, compared to only 19.1 billion spent watching TV. Furthermore, when analyzing average age data, Facebook found that the average age of light TV viewers on Facebook is 27, whereas the average age of heavy TV viewers on Facebook is 48.

User Perceptions and Behaviors

Facebook says one of the reasons Millennials watch less TV is because, as mobile becomes more prominent, perceptions keep changing. A U.S. and Canada survey commissioned by Facebook IQ discovered that Millennials perceive TV as less affordable than watching mobile video.

Additionally, mobile devices allow users to multitask to the extreme, whether it be for work-related, social, or relaxing reasons. Even when their TV show is back from commercial break, users may still glance at their phone to check a work email, a message, or a Facebook status update. Staying connected to friends and world news or trends is a major reason that users continuously multitask with their mobile devices.

The Marketing Perspective

Of particular interest to marketers is the fact that, according to the Facebook study, typically about 2.5 seconds into a TV commercial, users disengage and redirect their focus to their smartphones three-quarters of the time. However, a neuromarketing study showed that emotional intensity and memory retention levels were higher when viewers recognized a TV ad they had first seen on mobile. From a marketing perspective, this indicates that TV ads can act as supplemental influencers to mobile ad campaigns.

As a marketer, you should

  • Launch mobile video ads geared towards targeted audiences with platforms like Creative Hub and Audience Network.
  • Create TV ads with audio that is powerful and engaging enough to trigger a memory link to your mobile ads.

Are you a multi-screening user? Share why and how you multiscreen in the comments section below.

Request a FREE 30 Minute Strategy Call
Discover the best ad platforms to grow your business.


Profitable Ads

About Anna Hubbel

Anna Hubbel is a contributing writer for the AdvertiseMint Advertising Blog and writes about trending digital advertising topics, including news stories, how-to guides, and detailed marketing strategies regarding Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, TikTok Ads, Snapchat Ads, YouTube Ads , Amazon Ads, Google Ads, and Pinterest Ads. Anna has written columns for OnStage Blog, a theater-themed website and has experience as a videographer, photographer, and web designer. Anna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Saint Vincent College and a Master of Arts degree in Communication, with a focus on organizational communication, from the College at Brockport. Anna ensures that AdvertiseMint produces high quality content for businesses looking to hire a digital advertising agency.

Complete Guide to Facebook Targeting

Facebook Ad Targeting

Download our FREE Facebook guide with over 850 ad targeting options.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Ad Targeting Infographics

  • Amazon DSP Ad Targeting
  • Facebook Ad Targeting 
  • Hidden Facebook Ad Targeting
  • LinkedIn Ad Targeting
  • Snapchat Ad Targeting
  • Digital Ad Platform Policies

Hear the Audiobook FREE on Audible

Browse by Platform

  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Snapchat
  • Pinterest
  • Amazon
  • Google

AdvertiseMint

  • Home
  • About
  • Careers
  • Advertising Blog
  • Locations
  • Industries
  • FAQ

Follow Us

Facebook
Instagram
Snapchat
Youtube
Linkedin
Twitter

Services

Facebook Advertising
Instagram Advertising
Google Advertising
Amazon Advertising
Pinterest Advertising
Tiktok Advertising

NEWSLETTER

Get expert insights and latest news in digital advertising every week

NEWSLETTER

7080 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028       |       844-236-4686

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Earnings Disclosure | Cookie Policy

advertisemint google partner

© 2023 AdvertiseMint All Rights Reserved.