Viggle, What’s In It For You?

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The average American spends about 5 hours a day watching some form of video. Our television set is still our favorite delivery device.

But competition is increasing to bring your t-v and smart phone together,  and keep you paying close attention to both.

Let’s face it, you’re going to watch television anyway, so why not earn points for coupons or sweepstakes chances?

Viggle is a free app that you can run on your smart phone or computer.

Just momentarily hold your device up to the screen and let the good times roll.

Dr. Barry Smith is an Associate Professor of Communications at Mississippi University for Women.

He explains, ” It provides TV shows and advertisers a way to make sure that you are actually watching a TV show, that you are in tune, that you are actually paying attention to what is going on. ”

Your precise viewing habits are very valuable to advertisers.

Your smart phone is treasure trove of data.

Seems like a match made in silicone heaven.

But remember,  Dr. Smith cautions, ” You are turning on a microphone in your home and then sending that information out there, somewhere.”

While wholesale breaches are bad for business, privacy is at less of a premium these days.

Think how much you already share on Facebook.

So will Viggle and apps like it spell an end to traditional commercial breaks, especially in an age when many of us reach for the remote the second an ad comes on?

Not so fast.

Dr. Smith advises, ” We’ll still have the 30 second commercial for a while, for the foreseeable future probably, but we are seeing that competition for a second screen. So with Viggle they’ve got you with the TV screen, they’ve got you with your phone or your tablets and you’ve got the applications, they’ve got you on 2 screens, so even if your attention is divided, they still got you.”

And if getting got doesn’t sound appealing, simply don’t download the app.

You’ll never know what you’re missing.
Dr. Smith says games are another big part of Viggle.

For instance there is a fantasy football game called My Guy where you can pick a different player for every play of a game.

Competition like that is great way to get people to use your service.