Since 1941, television has been the great American pastime. Get home after work, flip on the tube, and stare at drama, comedy, or reality jackassery until it’s time to go to bed. TV is our constant companion, so it’s no wonder that when social media came around, we’d find ourselves multi-tasking with the two. Unfortunately, our divided attention is taking away from our ability to enjoy our favorite shows.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut separated 230 college students into two groups. One group watched episodes of “Friends” while tweeting; the other group watched the same show without tweeting. The tweeting group had to tweet at least five times during the half-hour show.
After the show, researchers gave them surveys, and the results are not good for tweeters. The people who tweeted while watching the show were less likely to enjoy the program. People who only focused on the show were more likely to experience “transportation” into the entertainment, and they had greater emotional engagement.
Does TV seem less fun these days? Part of it is the glut of options (not all of them good), but part of it may be our addiction to social media. More than half of TV viewers aged 18 to 24 use a second screen web-connected device for social media to discuss what they are watching.
Add to that the fact that the internet is literally changing our brains, and it’s no surprise we’re not enjoying our entertainment as much as we used to.
Science confirms the internet is changing our brains
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