It’s no secret that TV is my lifeblood. Guys, I really love it. From True Blood and Dexter to Real Housewives and Arrested Development, I am very interested in what’s happening on the small screen. The past few weeks have been especially exciting as I waited with bated breath for the long-overdue return of AMC’s Mad Men and now look forward to the April 1st return of HBO’s Game of Thrones (Winter is indeed coming!).
As I gathered snacks for the two-hour Mad Med premier last Sunday night, my husband asked me if I wanted to record it for another night or perhaps watch something else for a while so that we could skip through commercials. I was appalled. No way was I going to wait an extra 30 minutes!
But, I understood his point. Nearly all of the TV we watch is recorded or on DVD. The convenience of time-shifted television and borrowing series box-sets from co-workers has spoiled us. Why bother with commercials if we don’t have to?
I got to thinking about it and I realized that as much as I hate commercials, I hate being behind the curve even more.
A study from iModerate Research Technologies, Denver, addressed the phenomenon of Social TV – the act of connecting with people via social networks while watching television – and the impact it has on our viewing. The study identified several different types of Social TV participants and as I read through the descriptions, I wondered if they’d based one in particular – The Girlfriend – on me. According to iModerate, “The Girlfriend is a 25-to-44-year-old female who mainly engages in Social TV while watching dramas and reality shows. She relates deeply to her favorite shows and looks forward to the girls’-night-out aspect of interacting with them through Social TV.”
As I was watching Mad Men I enjoyed checking my News Feed to see what my friends were saying about the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce gang and texted furiously with girlfriends on the East Coast to figure out what exactly this beef between Megan and Joan is all about. But it didn’t stop once the show was over. The next day I anxiously awaited New York Magazine’s Vulture blog recap of the show and was thankful I didn’t have to avoid the spoilers on Yahoo!’s front page.
Social TV has become a huge part of my TV-watching experience and I thoroughly enjoy it. Through Social TV, something that can be a mind-numbing, solitary experience is shared with like-minded friends, all thanks to social media. There’s no way I could make it through two hours of The Bachelor(ette) on Monday nights if not for having my good friend in Savannah on Gchat with me.
For me, practicing Social TV turns TV into another way to connect with my girlfriends and be part of the discussion. I never thought my DVR dependency would subside but being in the loop and being able to talk about shows as they’re happening is far more important than saving 30 minutes of commercial time.
Do you take part in Social TV? What types of shows are you most likely to watch socially?