Practices of Parallel Media: Using Mobile Devices When Watching Television

We have been studying how people use mobile phones and laptops while watching television. Our results show that these are not necessarily used to access content that is related to what is being watched. However, this is not to say devices are being used in isolation from their surrounds; their use is interwoven with watching television and with interacting with other people. We suggest that designing for ‘the connected home ’ is more than an integration project, and should take account of the social fabric of domestic life