For roughly 60 years, people watched television the same way. People would surround their giant living set, and they’d enjoy the most popular programs of the time. Then the internet arrived, disrupting innumerable businesses with its novel ways in which people could communicate and learn. Thanks to social media and the vast amount of resource databases available online, the entire nature of television viewing fundamentally changed. The days of an entire family watching the same show on the family TV are long gone.

The first mobile phone to incorporate PDA features was an IBM prototype developed and demonstrated that year at the COMDEX computer industry trade show. The prototype demonstrated PDA features as well as other visionary apps like maps, stocks and news incorporated with a cellular phone. A refined version of the product was marketed to consumers in 1994 by BellSouth under the name Simon Personal Communicator. The Simon was the first cellular device that can be properly referred to as a “smartphone”, although it was not called that in 1994. In addition to its ability to make and receive cellular phone calls, Simon was able to send and receive faxes and emails and included several other apps like address book, calendar, appointment scheduler, calculator, world time clock, and note pad through its touch screen display. Simon is the first smartphone to be incorporated with the features of a PDA.

One billion smartphones were in use worldwide. Global smartphone sales surpassed the sales figures for features phones in early 2013. 65 percent of U.S. mobile consumers own smartphones. The European mobile device market as of 2013 is 860 million.

Now, people are just as likely to watch on their smart device. The iPhone 6s Plus is one of the most popular current smartphone options; the 5.5-inch Retina HD display makes it perfect for second screen viewing. Even when they do use their TV, they keep their phone or tablet nearby in order to access information about their favorite series. Forty percent of American adults employ second screen technology. Homes featuring at least one child under the age of 18 use it almost 70 percent of the time. Almost all of those users utilize a laptop or personal computer, a smartphone, or tablet. It’s that important to people that they have quick internet access while watching television.

Consumer behavior with second screen technology is incredibly diverse. The largest number of people checks their email while watching, but surfing the web and texting loved ones are also popular choices for over half the second screen users. Roughly a third of them also enhance their viewing experience by researching the acting careers of the various thespians working on the program. For additional information about evolving second screen technology.