Nielsen study says 88% of tablet owners tab away while watching TV

There is now solid research to back up the idea that tablets are taking away focus from other, more important things. Like watching TV. A new study from media research group Nielsen has found that an astounding 88% of tablet owners have admitted that they fumble away on their portable device while watching TV, because passive mediums live television just don’t enthrall us the way they used to.

That 88% figure represents tablet owners who said they join their tablet with their TV watching at least once a month. 45% said they do it on a daily basis, and 26% said they practically only ever watch TV if their iPad, Android tablet, Touchpad, or whatever their box of apps happens to be, by their side. It isn’t just tablets, though. 86% of smartphone owners also said they check in with their texts or other mobile content on their Androids, iPhones, and Blackberries while watching TV at least once a month. As previously mentioned, this represents a culture where consumers just aren’t content to sit down and watch something anymore. They have to have something in their hands, multitasking in some way. Turning the TV on no longer means you’re going to sit down and watch a show. It just means you’re going to have something on in the background while you toil away on another electronic device. The most common thing users said they do on their smartphones/tablets while watching TV is check e-mail.