CRI听力:"Chatterbox" Interactive TV Gets Popular in UK

Communications manager Dan McLoughlin is among those who are increasingly using a second screen to go online and share views about a TV program, as they watch it.

He says it's a logical social development as many don't have the time to sit and watch television with family and friends as was more the case in the past.

McLoughlin believes that more and more people are therefore taking advantage of the latest technology to discuss their opinions even while watching TV alone in their homes.

McLoughlin has been chatterboxing for months and says using Twitter or other social media while watching TV makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

"You're just sending a tweet or updating your facebook status and you can find out what other people think as well. On these panel shows like 'X Factor' or 'Strictly' (Come Dancing), I value the comments of my friends and other people and celebrities tweeting, much more than the people actually on the panel on the TV themselves."

The phenomenon has not gone unnoticed by broadcasters and advertisers.

According to TeleScope 2012 viewing habit research, many under-35s who use social media said the discussion around a program could cause them to watch a show.

Digital communication expert, Emma Mulqueeny says advertisers, who have realized that UK viewers can fast forward through television ads thanks to the rise of Sky Television's interactive satellite packages, are looking for better ways to gain people's attention.

"The same way that advertising brings in the revenue for websites and people that exist only through the internet, so advertising through television needs to become more clever and more directive marketing."

New applications, developed specifically for second screens, are becoming increasingly available on the market.

These can also include "click to buy" options, where viewers can immediately buy products as they watch them being advertised on TV.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.