TV viewers tune in to social networks

Almost half of UK residents have used a social network to discuss a TV show while it is on air, according to research from technology firm Intel.

Its research suggests that 45% of people in the UK have used Twitter, Facebook and other social networks to discuss a TV show and that more than half of these multitaskers are women. Most of the activity, 57% is taking place on a laptop, with 23% done on a desktop computer and 19% on a smart phone.

Intel also measured the amount of tweets per second (TPS) around particular TV events.

FremantleMedia’s The X Factor generated 11 tweets per second while BBC-produced Strictly Come Dancing had 7. The televised UK election debates, meanwhile, generated 29 Tweets per second.

The record number of tweets per second, 3,283, came earlier this year, during a soccer World Cup game. The average overall tweets per second level is about 800.