Sedentary in the dark glued to the phone waiting anxiously for that next comment.
Petulantly you refresh the twitter feeds every minute, in an attempt to hear what is going on TV.
“I do not have DSTV at res so I watch shows like idols and Isibaya on twitter, people are very quick to send comments with hashtags sharing what is happening or their thoughts on what would have happened… some even send images in real-time and I sit and read, by the time the show ends I would know everything that happened,” says Natasha Mokoena a student of politics at the University of Johannesburg.
The level of engagement among young people on social media networks, especially Twitter and Facebook, has revolutionised TV viewing.
With nearly 200 million users, Twitter has transformed the manner in which people watch TV.
Numerous South African and international TV shows are brought to a fevered pitch with actors fates unclear and magnified by the countrywide-trending hashtag.
Fueled by an enviable online presence, South African shows gain ratings as TV and online’s love-hate relationship continues, but presents a mammoth opportunity for integration.
It appears that viewers divide their time between watching their show and interacting via Facebook or Twitter these days. They’re tweeting, commenting, and talking live as the events unfold during broadcast.
TV networks are taking advantage of this large market to engage with their fans.
Many television shows now display hashtags in the bottom corner of the screen during shows so fans can easily get on twitter and see what others are saying about the show, chiming in themselves.
Anyone can search these hashtags on Twitter and follow along, even if they don’t want to participate in the conversation.
