The Duality of Second Screens: A Phenomenological Study of Multi-platform Engagement and Service Experiences

Internet traffic from mobile devices surpassed traffic from traditional desktop PCs for the first time in 2014. Although users today access and experience digital services through multiple mobile and traditional devices simultaneously, little empirical research investigated the mechanisms driving this shift, or its implications for service innovation research and practice. Here, we report on a qualitative phenomenological study of multi-device use. Drawing on the emerging literature at the interface of service-dominant (SD) logic and service innovation, we conceptualize the individual devices used to access digital services as engagement platforms. We explore user behavior and experiences of digital entertainment services, and find that the perceived need to enhance or avoid elements of digital service experiences motivates users to switch between and/or supplement multiple engagement platforms with one another. We conceptualize our findings in two distinct theoretical models and delineate future research opportunities.