Applications
Multiscreen users avoid TV ads: Study
MUMBAI: People who use personal devices such as tablets and smartphones at the same time as watching TV are ignoring television commercials almost completely, according to new research published by the Strategy Analytics Digital Home Observatory.
The report, ‘Multi-Screen User Behaviors in the Home‘, identifies why multiscreen users shift their focus between devices and how this varies according to the type of television content viewed. For example, high impact scenes on television screen can divert user attention away from personal devices, while television advertising diverts attention toward them.
Strategy Analytics senior analyst and the report‘s author Caroline Park said, “Simultaneous use of several screens is a behavior that is being readily adopted and has quickly become the main way that early adopters choose to experience watching TV. Multiscreen users very rarely concentrate solely on a television show in its entirety, and
while this presents challenges to the TV industry, it also offers new opportunities for viewer engagement.”
The study also found that TV ad breaks have an impact on casual games played on personal devices. Survey participants noted that they preferred games which didn‘t take long to complete, or which were not time-dependent, so that they could fit their games activity into the ad breaks.
“Understanding when and how `focus shifts‘ between the TV and personal devices occur is key to delivering a superior multi-screen user experience, as well as providing an opportunity to retain the attention of viewers on advertising,” concludes Park.
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
