Second screening and Gooching.

There is a new trend afoot and you should take notice.  Many people are TV watching today with their iPad, portable computer or iPhone (smartphone) in their lap. If you were watching the POTUS republican debates, then you might have been fact checking with Google as you watch. If your were watching Obama's state of the union address, you may have been "Gooching" (Google Searching) how many times Obama had said the same thing before.  Additionally, experienced sitcom watchers are Gooching the back stories of their favorite sitcom characters as they watch. The trend is accelerating and now has a name. It is called second screening.

Second screening engages viewers. You should take notice because this trend is an opportunity for TV producers to switch TV from passive to active with the right dialogue. I believe it is capable of making TV a fascinating media by recognizing second screeners and producing programs that encourage it. TV has always secretly wished to engage viewers with more than simple sound and interesting images. It now has an opportunity to engage the viewer's minds in more than just mind numbing domestic or fantasy situations.

If TV does not act, then I predict second screeners may develop their own games that are played in conjunction with watching a TV program. You may even see an iPhone app released that is accessed and played while watching your favorite sitcom. More than likely the NFL will do it first. If you have ever watched a football game with a fantasy football enthusiast, then you understand the NFL is close.

Add second screening and Gooching to your vocabulary. You heard it here.