The Benefits of Real-time Communication Capabilities

The more I pay attention to how people interact with media and information, the easier it is to see how real-time communication is playing out in a big way on all platforms, including TV.  Not only is “social” important, but the ability to have live conversations is becoming increasingly desired.

Part of the allure of Social TV is being able to engage in real-time communications with your friends as you watch TV programming – not after.  This is why finding solutions that not only cater to “any-time” viewing, but also to real-time viewing, is important.  It’s great to be able to watch TV programming on your computer after the fact, but often times, engaging with other viewers while the show is airing is equally – sometimes more – relevant.

In a report conducted earlier this year, it was concluded that teens and tweens overwhelmingly use multiple platforms simultaneously, especially when combining with TV usage.

This indicates that being able to interact with others while consuming certain forms of media is important and is definitely happening.

The SMS and TV usage is particularly interesting, and a percentage that I predict will continue to grow, especially since texting has been so rapidly increasing. If this group is already using SMS while they’re watching a TV show, why not give them the option to have a text conversation about it….on the TV…. with their friends?  Make the direct connection for them.

Figuring out how to leverage current technologies to make real-time communication opportunities readily-available will be important across all media formats, especially TV.

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