They’re designed as a visual fidget spinner for those unable to focus on a single thing.
It’s the next cultural step for those bizarre TikTok videos where half of the screen is taken up by the video you’re actually supposed to be watching, and the other half is, inexplicably, a Subway Surfers clip.
It’s a bit silly to just ignore the whole visual part. It also does a disservice to both mediums to not give them attention – the game, because you’re likely muting its music, and whatever you’re watching, because you’re not looking at it most of the time and that’s like, half the point of a movie. At that point, it really does turn more into a podcast. If that’s how you like to watch things, that’s your business, but I don’t know if you can really call it ‘watching’ something.
I have been known to idly take my phone out and start playing Sudoku while a show is on, and miss a whole scene. Don’t get me wrong, I am not the TV police.
