Lightning Talk
Research Problem
The research problem studied was the television viewing experience alone versus in groups. For the purpose of this study, television is defined as visual media that can be viewed using a television, or other electronic equipment e.g. computers, tablets, phones, etc. It does not need to be broadcast live and can include streaming. A television show must have more than one episode that is part of a larger series.This study looked to explore the phenomenon of viewing television alone and the phenomenon of viewing television in groups to see how they differed for participants.
Research questions
Do people usually watch television alone or in groups?
What are people watching alone vs. in groups?
How and where are people watching television alone vs. in groups?
Why do people watch television alone vs. in groups?
Do people prefer to watch television alone vs. in groups?
Do people watch television more actively or passively alone vs. in groups?
Are there reasons why people don’t watch television alone or in groups?
Methods
This research used a phenomenological qualitative approach. The phenomenon that was being analyzed was television viewing alone and in groups. The data collection began with an online multiple-choice survey about the television viewing habits of people interested in participating in the study. From this survey, three interview subjects between the ages of 18-24 were chosen through non-random sampling based on their TV viewing habits and preferences. The interviews were conducted one-on-one and were semi-structured about the subject’s television viewing habits. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed.
Analysis
Actively vs. Passively
Participants mostly watched television passively with it often playing in the background.
Shows watched actively and alone: required more concentration, are of greater interest to the participants.
Shows watched passively: less serious in nature, and were sometimes shows the participants had viewed before.
Over the past 5 years: they say they now watch more TV passively than actively
Alone vs. in Groups
All of the participants mostly watched television shows alone.
Watching shows alone: a means of relaxation and to help them focus on the show.
Watching shows in groups: more focused on the social aspect and the shared ritual. They liked having shared jokes, sharing a show with others, and having something to talk about with other people. In groups there was often talking and jokes made throughout the show.
Groups: usually with family, significant other, or close friends, and more likely to watch cable than alone. None of the participants liked to watch TV with friends they were not very close with because they do not know them well or the dynamic of their relationship.
Television Viewing Choices
Choosing what to watch in groups: for two-thirds of participants it was usually a group consensus which could sometimes take some time, for one-third of participants they went back and forth for choosing what the group watches. When in groups they also mostly streamed Netflix on a TV or laptop or watched cable.
Choosing what to watch alone: participants usually relied on recommendations from streaming services based on what they had previously watched. One participant also relied on recommendations from friends, while another sometimes chose to re-watch shows they had seen before.
Conclusions
All participants preferred to watch shows alone because they felt that they could focus better on the show, but they did acknowledge the missing social aspect. While alone, they missed the social experience of groups of bonding over a show and having people to talk to when something dramatic happens. Two-thirds of participants felt that watching a lot of television alone could be seen as wasting time that could be better spent.
When in groups all participants discussed that the social aspect is more of the focus than the show itself. This often leads to a lot of people talking, which may make it difficult to hear the show. One-third of participants also discussed that watching in groups can get boring after a while.
As a result, although participants saw positive and negative aspects of watching television alone and in groups, they ultimately preferred to watch television alone and spent more time watching television alone.
Researcher
Monique Mulima
Monique Mulima is currently in her fourth year at Ryerson University. She is majoring in Professional Communication and minoring in Public Relations. Monique currently works at as Teaching Assistant in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Ryerson. She has also previously worked in the fields of communications and marketing in the private, public, and not-for-profit sector. During her degree, Monique has received a Renewable Ryerson Entrance Scholarship and has been on the Dean’s List every year. Monique will be graduating from Ryerson in June 2020, and then pursuing a Master’s Degree in Political Communication.
Credits:
Created with images by Glenn Carstens-Peters - "untitled image" • Thibault Penin - "Netflix & Chill" • Charles Deluvio - "Browsing Netflix" • David Švihovec - "untitled image" • Kelly Sikkema - "untitled image" • JESHOOTS.COM - "Happy woman watching TV and eats popcorn at night"