UK TV Watchers Unlikely To Discuss Shows On Social Media

Nowadays, nobody questions the strong impact of social media on communication behaviour and the fundamental way in which Facebook, Twitter and the like transform human relations. This was evident with social media’s increasing use as a place where people can connect with each other, with brands and information. It turns out, however, that TV is by no means a favourite topic of British consumers communicating online, according to the findings of Motorola Mobility’s latest Media Engagement Barometer.

In 2012, the share of UK consumers talking about shows on social platforms whilst watching TV declined to 24%, from 39% two years earlier. In the US, the proportion of respondents having done so fell to 23% from 32% over the same period. The trend observed in the US and the UK is in contrast to the overall global interest in social media conversations about TV programmes; according to the study, 43% of consumers worldwide have tracked social media conversations about a TV show on another device while watching the programme, with the share increasing to 60% amongst younger viewers.

Motorola’s research peeks into the video consumption behaviour of 9,500 consumers in 17 countries. It also established that consumers are more likely to use a social media platform to recommend a particular show than pass the information by oral communication (38% vs 34%). Besides, 78% of global social media users are open to linking their Facebook or Twitter profiles to a TV service to show what they like to watch most and trigger discussion.

People prefer watching TV on their smartphones and tablets in the bedroom rather than broadcast TV, which hints at the transformation of TV watching into a multi-device experience.