Everyday life in (front of) the screen: the consumption of multiple screen technologies in the living room context

Today's (home) media environment is becoming increasingly saturated. Smartphones, tablets and laptops enter our living room and possibly alter our television viewing experience. In this paper, we want to grasp how 'screen technologies' are interrelated on a textual (content) and a material level (technological object), from a user perspective. By means of domestic in-depth interviews with owners of multiple screen technologies, we interpret the integration of multiple secondary screens in the everyday television viewing behavior. In most cases, the use of second screens is not related to television content. Nonetheless, we also found evidence of changing dynamics concerning public and private spaces, as people extend television text on their second screens into online social spaces or more generally, the Internet. These interactive structures provide individuals with opportunities as well as threats. In conclusion, we identify directions for future research on the consumption and reception of television.

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