Half of Tablets, Smartphones Used as Second Screens

According to a Nielsen survey of connected device owners, nearly half of smartphone owners (46%) and tablet owners (43%) use their devices as second screens while watching TV every day. And more than two-thirds of tablet and smartphone owners said they used these second screens multiple times a week during Q1 2013.The survey indicates that second screens are both distractions and means to engage more deeply with the video content on TV. Among tablet owners, general Web searches (76%) and general Web browsing (68%) are still among the top second-screen activities. But consumers are also using second screens for activities that are directly related to the content they're viewing, as almost half of tablet owners look up information about what they're watching.