Confessions of a two screening tragic
For today’s TV viewer, one screen isn’t enough. Steve Molk tells us why networks need to take notice of two screening.
My name is Steve Molk and I like to live tweet television shows. A lot. I get a kick from connecting with people who watch the same programs I do and together we discuss, joke, and in the blood sport that is ABC1’s Q&A, compete to see our tweets on screen.
The term ‘two screening’ was coined to describe the growing number of people who, like me, consume television with two different devices, usually the TV and a smart phone or laptop. This allows viewers to watch (or more accurately, listen) to a show while keeping up with the conversation, primarily on the social media network Twitter.
The use of a ‘hashtag’ (a word, acronym or phrase used to identify the show, preceded by a hash e.g. #JnrMasterChef) allows those following the conversation to identify tweets they wish to read. It’s a phenomenon that went largely unnoticed by wider TV audiences and it’s only as programs started to include hashtags and respond to questions in-show that the public has become aware of this clandestine undertaking.
Over at the Seven Network, Twitter is at the top of the to-do list, demonstrated by the appointment of producer extraordinaire and self-proclaimed social media addict Adam Boland in the role of director of social media (he and I attend the same online 12-step program).
Television networks and advertisers clearly see the benefit of instant feedback from a committed audience, and by nurturing and developing this sub-culture, they have the opportunity to shape their product for a market that tells them exactly what they want in near real time.
The era of two screening is upon us but how long will this trend last? As TV manufacturers develop ‘smart’ TVs with internet access, we’ll soon be able to overlay a Twitter stream on screen. Until then, everybody wants in. Keep an eye out for hashtags and tweets coming soon to your favourite show.
Steve Molk is the editor of MolksTVTalk.com and tweets as @MolksTVTalk.
- This feature first appeared in the relaunched print edition of Encore magazine. To subscribe, click here
