Second Screen Content: The New Productivity Hack or the Downfall of Attention Spans?

Maybe you've scrolled on your phone while Netflix or Amazon Prime runs in the background; or maybe you've played a video game on one computer monitor while watching a Twitch streamer on another monitor. I've personally done both, along with 85% of internet users.

In fact, this practice of using a second screen while scrolling on a "primary" one has become so widespread that advertisers are studying how to use it to their advantage. For example, advertisers are already looking into how to use the psychology behind second screen content to specifically market products towards Gen Z.

Data shows that 68% of second screen users use their phone to look up information about what they're watching like actors, plotlines, or related topics; 41% of users use their second screen while messaging via text or communication apps; and 35% use their phone to shop for featured products from the program they're watching on their second screen. All of this is compared to the whopping 76% of users who use their phone to scroll social media while having a second screen play in the background.

With these second screen statistics, marketers might guess: a social media influencer's (76% of users' attention) or a celebrity's personal endorsement (68%) are generally more effective when marketing to Gen Z than product placement in film and television (35%). Additionally, it might be deduced that "word of mouth" via electronic messages between friends may be less effective if the user is scrolling social media (76%) and not focused on checking their messages at the time of using their second screen (41%.)

But what exactly is playing on these second screens?

Well, to put it shortly...anything and everything.

Second screen content could be video gameplay, DIY videos, cooking videos, cleaning videos - you name it. The purpose of second screen content is to be entertaining enough without being too obtrusive or demanding too much of the user's focus while they scroll on their primary screen.

This concept of having something else going on in the background is not new; think, listening to music while you paint or read. The difference is that where once the phone used to be the second screen to the primary screen of life, now our phones have become the primary screen and life seems to have almost become a type of third screen in itself that tries - and sometimes fails - to compete.

Some content creators have even begun inserting their own "second screen" directly into their video clips. Content creators do this by splicing their content with a second type of content. For example, they might be telling you a scary story on one half of the screen while showing a video of Mario Kart being played on the other half of the screen. Or a creator might be telling a personal story on one side of the screen while a set of hands mushes clay on the other side. The combinations are endless. This strategy supposedly helps with engagement.

Streamers are apparently even asking film and TV producers to "dumb" their work down. This means, simplifying plotlines so that they're easy to follow while only half paying attention, even declining artists' work for not being "second screen enough."

As an artist, this breaks my heart. As a consumer, I'm guilty of being part of the problem. Even as I write this, a spooky podcast plays on another screen from a YouTuber on the desk beside me. I have no idea what the podcast is about, only that it is a nice kind of white noise I'm using to focus on my own creative work. To the creator of that podcast, I am sorry...and also, thank you.

So how can using a second screen be beneficial?

While the rise of second screen usage can feel discouraging in some aspects as an artist, it also feels a bit like that saying: sometimes you're the pigeon and sometimes you're the statue. If the use of second screens is helpful to creators when it comes to getting in their zone, finding inspiration, or helping someone to relax after a long day of work then maybe second screens aren't so bad.

If you can find the right kind of second screen content, the practice can even be beneficial.

Personally, I've found creator accounts like Merve on YouTube to be helpful when I'm editing.

Merve and accounts like hers typically have a set timed schedule while they study or do work to help their viewers remember to take breaks while remaining focused. As someone with ADHD, I find the act of body doubling (sometimes called body mirroring) motivates me, so having a video of someone reading and writing beside me is good way to trick myself into work. Usually, there's pretty scenery or a relaxing soundscape, like rain, in the background which adds a nice mix of white noise and ambience to the task I'm addressing at hand.

What's extra cool to me is that Merve is a YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers. Clearly others find her content helpful, also! It's neat to think this creator took the idea of creating second screen content and used it to contribute something positive to the world.

In the past, when I was in school, I would put on videos of "cafe sounds" while I studied at my kitchen table. This was long before any discussions of second screen content were popping up online, but I would still classify it as in that category. But still, I found it helpful.

Even when I write a Vocal article on a musician I like, I usually have one of those musician's songs pumping me up on a second screen beside me.

Sometimes if I notice myself spending too much time on my computer, I'll even throw on a cleaning or GRWM ("get ready with me") video to inspire me to get off my screens and go do that thing instead.

Extreme Declutter by scrivspo

So where is the line when it comes to second screen content? Is it something that can be beneficial? Or are we "feeding the Tulpa" so to say?

I think, as with most things on the web, it's up to the user's discretion. Setting timers, being mindful of your screen usage, and tailoring your content consumption to reflect your goals are all things you can do to help be cognizant of your second screen usage. At the same time, I think it's fair to say that if the shoe doesn't fit, don't force it. In other words, if you don't think the use of a second screen is hindering you, don't let nay-sayers deter you. On top of that, if you think you could also create second screen content that would positively impact the landscape of the Internet, I say go for it.

My only fears are that a) this will have long term effects on the brain that we don't fully understand yet and b) that the nature of art and what art gets funded continues to make it harder for those with something to say to break through. Big fears, to be fair. Fears, I don't think I'm alone in, though. Because of that company, I'm hopeful.

So I leave you with two questions:

1: What type of second screen content do you enjoy, if any?

2: What's a piece of art you recently consumed that was not second screen content?

I'd love to know in the comments below!

In the meanwhile, if you're looking for your next read to encourage you away from the screen, consider adding one of these books to your TBR list:

"Moon of the Crusted Snow" by Waubgeshig Rice

Or

"The Dangers of Smoking in Bed" by Mariana Enriquez

Thank you for reading! What do you think of second screens? Let me know in the comments below!