Second screen multitasking done by 88% of millennials

Some 88% of millennials use a second screen like a phone or tablet to multi-task when watching video content, according new research by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

The 2015 Video Consumption Trends report found that 71% of people aged 18 to 34 engage with social media while watching video content and 70% watch content on another device during commercials – a far higher proportion than for adults aged 35-years and older.

The CEA said that half of all online Americans use second screens to augment first screen content to do things like and access information about content, or follow social media discussions.

Elsewhere, the research said that TV remains the preferred device for viewing most video content. However, for most types of video content, millennials are more likely to watch from non-traditional devices (42%) compared to adults 35 and older (22%).

“More than ever before, consumers – especially millennials – are using non-traditional devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones for content viewing. As technology continues to improve, consumer behaviours and expectations also evolve – but televisions still reign as the preferred viewing device in American households today,” said the CTA’s senior director of market research, Steve Koenig.

The CTA said that 11% of consumers reported having cancelled their service provider subscription in the past year, with 27% of these citing alternate options available at a lower cost. An addition 21% of consumers said they haven’t had a service provider subscription for more than a year.