40% of US tablet and smartphone owners use device while watching TV

Nielsen has released research from the US showing that four out of ten tablet and smartphone owners use their devices every day while watching TV, while only 14% of eReader owners said they watched TV while using their device every day.

Email was the top activity undertaken on tablets and smartphones for both men and women during television programming and commercial breaks.

In addition, women reported engaging in social networking more than men, while men checked sports scores more often.

Advertisers should note that while viewers may be splitting attention between two (or even three) screens, 19% of smartphone and tablet owners searched for product information and 13% searched for coupons or deals while in front of the television.

The data involved a survey of 7,533 connected device owners (tablets, smartphones, eReaders, etc.) in the United States in Q2 2011.