Double-screening

A new verb: I heard this for the first time a couple of weeks or so ago (January 2018) on BBC Radio 4. 

Are you familiar with it: ...'to double-screen'? Perhaps you do it yourself. In fact, you probably do!

As explained by the radio commentator it means when people are watching the TV, live TV, but are simultaneously online, especially (it seems) on social media, in touch with their friends and the world, and quite possibly also commenting on the programme they’re watching in their various different locations. 

The Radio 4 programme was about the impact of social media, algorithms and so on, on people’s opinions and politics, with particular reference to the British General Election on June 8^th 2017. The commentators were arguing that Yes many people watch BBC's 'Question Time', and may or may not be influenced by discussion on it, but that these viewers are also discussing the topics at the same time with their friends online, via their other devices: double-screening.

The language moves on!