The inclusion of television audiences in social interaction through secondary screen using in the pandemic process: The example of Survivor

With the integration process in line with the convergence of television and social media, television audiences have begun to enter an interactive process with the use of secondary screens as a new media consumption practice. The feature of the media as a substitute for daily life deprivations has made the use of secondary screens important in the pandemic process. In this direction, as a sample, the audience of the Survivor program, which is in the first place in the rating results during the pandemic process, was selected and searched on Twitter due to the use of secondary screen, its characteristics and the high level of mentioned of Survivor. The theoretical basis of the study is based on the uses and gratifications approach, which suggests that media consumption is carried out in line with the expectations and needs that arise through the influence of social and psychological factors. In line with this basis, the use of secondary screen, secondary screen use researches, reality fiction on television, storytelling and reality shows that contain entertainment elements have been included in the literature, which emerged with the convergence of traditional media and new media. Within the scope of the study, field research was conducted and studies investigating the use of new media, Twitter, reality shows, Survivor and secondary screens within the framework of uses and gratifications were included, and the findings of an online survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews were discussed. In the research, there are the findings of the online survey method, which was selected by the snowball method, with 320 television viewers watching Survivor during the pandemic process, and the semi-structured in-depth interview findings conducted with 10 volunteer participants who used Twitter on the secondary screen while watching Survivor during the pandemic process. The most basic motivations of Survivor followers in the use of Twitter on the secondary screen during the pandemic process, in order of importance; social interaction, entertainment, and content-related information seeking. The entertainment and content-related information seeking factors have the same frequency level, and the main motivation factor varies according to the secondary screen usage purpose. It has been determined that the level of performing Twitter on the secondary screen in line with the basic factor of social interaction has increased compared to the pre-pandemic process. Survivor Panorama and Survivor Extra viewing status, participation in content via SMS and hashtag tracking, secondary screen usage and the main motivations in use were determined as practical. Gender and age variables also make a difference in the level of secondary screen use. The themes identified by the semi-structured in-depth interview method revealed that the motivations for using Twitter on the secondary screen vary according to the purpose of use. The study has a unique value as it researches the use of Twitter on the secondary screen based on the sample of Survivor viewers, considers the social and psychological effects of the pandemic process, measures the effect of different variables and practices on the use of the secondary screen, and presents quantitative and qualitative data together.