Increasing demand for smartphones and tablets has created a nation of media multi-taskers, according to Ofcom’s latest research, which has brought the 1950s living room into the 21st Century.

Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2013 reveals that the number of people coming together to watch the main household TV set has risen over the last decade – 91 per cent of adults now watch every week compared to 88 per cent in 2002.

The figures show that the traditional family living room of the past is still firmly ingrained within our culture, but it now manifests itself as a ‘digital media hub’. Whilst the family still gathers together, members will use multiple media outlets instead of focusing on the television.

Streaming videos, instant messaging and updating social media are all now commonplace within the living room whilst watching TV. All of these activities are carried out on smartphone and tablets, with ownership figures of both almost doubling in the last two years.

Over half of UK adults are media multi-tasking while watching TV on a weekly basis and a quarter are regularly ‘media meshing’ – using another media outlet that relates to what they’re watching on TV.

The extent to which media meshing now occurs was seen during the 2013 Wimbledon Men’s tennis final with 1.1 million people worldwide tweeting 2.6 million times whilst watching the match.

‘Media stacking’ has also been identified in the living room, where users watch TV and use another media device at the same time for unrelated activities. Just under half of people use their smartphones and tablets for unrelated activities, including using the internet, social networking and online shopping, all whilst watching TV.

James Thickett, Ofcom’s Director of Research, said: “Our research shows that increasingly families are gathering in the living room to watch TV just as they were in the 1959s – but now delivered on bigger, wide and more sophisticated sets. Unlike the 1950s family, however, they are also doing their own thing. They are tweeting about a TV show, surfing the net or watching different content altogether on a tablet.

“Just a few years ago, we would be talking about last night’s TV at work or at school. Now, we’re having those conversations live while watching TV – using social media, text and instant messaging.”