WHILE HOME FOR MOST of the summer, I have discovered our three-year-old prefers to watch videos on the "Big Dora Phone" (the nomenclature earned by the iPad) rather than using the kludgy 32-inch television set in the sitting room.
Mia's personal viewing habits (seen at left) could be an economical step because they suggest that when she's out on her own, she won't need a television antenna and could escape the annual TV License Fee. Fortunately for the Irish Exchequer, TV won't die off during the lifetime of the next generation. However, the way people view TV segments has changed already. I suspect that the RTE Player is serving as many views of popular shows during the week following initial broadcast as the shows get in live viewership. According to research by Magnet Networks, 71% of Irish people now watch TV programmes on their portable mobile devices and desktop computers, with one in five doing so regularly. This figure rises dramatically to 89% for those aged 18-25, with 58% regularly watching TV on their computers. In Mia's case, her preferred gateway to Ben and Holly, Charlie and Lola, Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer is through the touchscreen that she can carry from room to room. In a perfect world, her personal viewing preference also works while underway in Ireland. That is proving to be more of a challenge.
Digital Times -- "Rapid Changes in TV Viewing Habits" on the blog, May 11, 2011.
