We’ve become a nation of TV Tweeters (From York Press)

We’ve become a nation of TV Tweeters

9:08am Friday 16th March 2012 in News By Richard Catton , richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

SOCIAL media is changing the way we watch television with a growing number of Yorkshire viewers “chatterboxing” as they watch their favourite shows.

People watching popular programmes such as X-Factor or Eastenders are simultaneously Tweeting about what they see on-screen and creating a national “water cooler effect” according to an industry expert from York St John University.

Dr Robert Edgar, head of Film and TV Production, was speaking following a report published by TV Licensing, on how technology is affecting viewing habits. He said: “Television remains central to British life and has been a consistent presence in our society since the BBC first broadcast in 1932. It was originally seen as a threat to film, in the same way that home video was expected to mark the end of cinema.

“But the reality is that new technologies complement existing ones and the advent of social media, convergent technologies and increased functionality with on-demand TV is no different.

“These technologies enhance our ability to communicate with each other and thus the ‘water cooler effect’ generated by the shared yet disparate experience of watching a TV programme can happen instantly.”

Research conducted for TeleScope 2012, which looks at the UK’s TV viewing habits, suggests that the trend of commenting via a second screen about a programme, or “chatterboxing”, is starting to grip our region.

A fifth of all adults and more than a third of those aged under 35, say they have commented to others online or via SMS about a TV programme they have been watching.

Top shows for chatterboxers include finals of the X Factor and The Apprentice, as well as sporting events such as Wimbledon and Formula One races.

Tim Downs, TV Licensing spokesperson for the North East, said: “This year’s TeleScope report points to the fact that people are taking advantage of new technologies to ensure they can enjoy TV in more ways than ever before.”

, whether watching on bigger sets at home, via mobile technologies on the go, or on catch-up. And, of course, the chatterboxing phenomenon is bringing a new dimension to TV as a collective, social experience."