‘Edutainment’ Is The Latest Trend In TV

• 69% of Brits revealing they now use their TV differently than ever before
• Poll shows adults and children are turning to screen time for both education and entertainment purposes forming a new desire for ‘Edutainment’
• Half of Brits are using TV screen time at home to master new skills from learning new recipes to DIY and crafting
• Gaming is proving the ultimate connector, as multiple generations are turning to online video games and quizzes spanning different households to communicate

London, UK – 10th July, 2020 –Samsung Electronics UK Ltd. has released new research that explores just how significantly viewing habits have evolved in recent weeks.

The poll of 2,000 UK adults shows how screen time is not only being maximised to bring vital forms of the new TV favourite, ‘edutainment’, but also helping many stay connected with multiple generations as 1 in 6 admit their TV is now their primary source of contact with friends and family from other homes.

It is no surprise that for almost two thirds (61%) of respondents living with children, TV screen time for the kids is also up, as 1 in 3 said their children are using screen time to play online video games to socialise with friends or family members.

In a juxtaposition, the results also share insights to how the TV is the modern day ‘home school’, serving kids who are depending on screen time to provide their edutainment.  Forty per cent of survey respondents said that their children are now using TV screen time to watch educational videos and programmes to help encourage vital learning and development.

Edutainment isn’t stopping short at kids – as one half of UK adults answered that they have been able to maximise their own time at home to better themselves and keep the mind motivated – through watching documentaries or tutorials. The highest skill as answered by over a fifth (22%) of respondents’ centres around learning new recipes, followed by 1 in 10 Brits revealing that screen time has helped them learn craft skills, showing that many households are ditching prime time TV to perfect their new craft.

One of the key motives driving the Edutainment trend is the rise of intergenerational gaming, as an impressive 1 in 10 Brits are using gameplay to engage with friends and family. With a further 1 in 8 of 18-24 year old respondents saying they now spend time teaching external friends and family members, such as their grandparents, aunts and uncles, on how to play trending online games to help relatives spend valuable ‘virtual’ time gaming and socialising with their families.

“Samsung’s research reveals interesting patterns in how the TV is now playing various roles in households,” said Dr Kairen Cullen, Chartered Educational Psychologist. “From the popularity of shared and interactive game-playing, such as quizzes, to using screens for educational material for helping children to continue to engage with the school curriculum – TV screen time is unquestionably playing a central part, and therefore offering some insight, into how many people are coping and developing whilst going through these unprecedented times. Encouragingly, contact with the older generation may also have been extended because of this increased and more diverse TV usage, with younger people actually teaching and enabling older people who until now have typically been less proficient in their use of new technology. This is heartening and hopefully will serve to raise positivity in inter-generational relationships as well as relationships in general, because if we can help each other at this uncertain and difficult time then future possibilities look bright.”

Dan Hastings, Director, TV and AV, Samsung Electronics UK added: “It is truly heart-warming to see how generations have been able to reunite virtually through screen time. Whether it is to enjoy an interactive game with friends and family or to toast a virtual celebration, households have adapted to new rituals quickly. Our research shines a light on how screen time habits have shifted to adapt to these new routines because as we’ve always known, TV screen time is about more than just catching up on the latest entertainment; it is a form of escapism, it is educational and it is keeping family members connected with others.”