Time was, we expected a convergence of the computer and the television into one screen. The fear from television was that the emergence of the Internet was a zero-sum threat; hours into the Internet would be hours out of the television screen experience.
While neither has come to pass, it doesn't mean the TV and the computer aren't working with each other.
New data from Nielsen indicates Americans are more and more often using their computers while watching TV. About 60 per cent say they do so at least once a month.
The level of multitasking rose 38 per cent in one year, Nielsen suggests. It's perhaps an indication why such marquee television events as the Super Bowl, Oscars and Winter Olympics drew high ratings --- the use of the computer, particularly for social networking while the event was televised, turned America into one big living room.
While neither has come to pass, it doesn't mean the TV and the computer aren't working with each other.
New data from Nielsen indicates Americans are more and more often using their computers while watching TV. About 60 per cent say they do so at least once a month.
The level of multitasking rose 38 per cent in one year, Nielsen suggests. It's perhaps an indication why such marquee television events as the Super Bowl, Oscars and Winter Olympics drew high ratings --- the use of the computer, particularly for social networking while the event was televised, turned America into one big living room.
