“Watching a tablet” is not a common or natural phrase

Ending a Call vs. Hanging Up

• Hanging Up: This term has its roots in the physical act of “hanging” a telephone receiver back on a hook or cradle to terminate a call on a landline phone. While the physical action is no longer performed on a mobile phone, the phrase has become an idiom. It generally carries a more abrupt or even impolite connotation, implying a sudden disconnection. You might “hang up on” someone if you’re angry or want to end the conversation quickly.  

• Ending a Call: This is the more modern and neutral term. It describes the action of terminating a phone conversation, regardless of the device. It’s the standard term used on mobile phone interfaces (“End Call” button). “Ending a call” is a polite and straightforward way to say the conversation is over, without the baggage of “hanging up.”

In essence, “hanging up” is a relic of a past technology that has persisted in our vocabulary, while “ending a call” is the more technically accurate and often more polite descriptor for the same action in the digital age.

Watching TV or watching a TV show, and watching a Tablet.

How our language is adapting to new technologies.

Here’s a breakdown:

While in a technical sense they are different, in common usage, they are often used interchangeably.

• Watching a TV show is specific. It refers to the act of viewing a piece of content that is structured as a television program, whether it’s a drama series, a sitcom, a documentary, or a reality show.
• Watching TV is a broader, more general term. Traditionally, it meant watching content delivered via broadcast, cable, or satellite on a television set. It implied a scheduled, linear viewing experience. However, with the rise of streaming, the phrase “watching TV” has evolved. Many people now use it to mean watching any kind of video content (shows, movies, even YouTube videos) on a television screen, regardless of the source.
  The distinction is blurring. You could say “I’m watching TV” when you’re watching a TV show, but you might also say it when you’re simply channel-surfing or watching the news.
  
• “Watching a tablet” is not a common or natural phrase. You wouldn’t say “I’m watching a tablet” in the same way you would say “I’m watching TV.”
  Instead, you would use a more specific phrase to describe the content and the action:
• “I’m streaming a show on my tablet.”
• “I’m watching a movie on my tablet.”
• “I’m watching a YouTube video on my tablet.”
  
• The phrase “watching a tablet” would sound like you are literally staring at the physical device itself, not the content on the screen. The device is the medium, not the subject of the action.
  The verb “watch” is almost always followed by the content being viewed (a show, a movie, a game) or the medium of traditional, scheduled viewing (“TV”). A tablet, being a personal and versatile device, doesn’t fit into the old “watching TV” paradigm.

Today “TV” has become a shorthand for content on the medium of television, there isn’t one single, universally accepted term for content on a personal device.
Instead, we use a variety of terms that are more specific to the type of content or the way it’s delivered:

• Streaming Content/Media: This is a very common and broad term. It refers to a wide range of content (shows, movies, music, podcasts) that is accessed over the internet without being downloaded permanently.
• Digital Content/Media: This is another general term, encompassing anything that is in a digital format, from articles and photos to videos and apps. It can be used to describe content on any device, including personal ones.
• Mobile Content: This term is specifically used for content that is designed or optimized for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Think of a news app or a social media feed.
• Online Content: This is a broad term that refers to anything available on the internet. While it’s not specific to personal devices, most people access online content through them.
• Apps: The term “app” is short for “application” and is one of the most common ways to describe a piece of software on a personal device. While “app” isn’t the content itself, the content is often accessed through an app (e.g., “I’m watching a show on the Netflix app”).
  In contrast to the single term “TV,” our language for content on personal devices is more fragmented because the experience is more fragmented. A personal device is a versatile tool, not a dedicated medium. You might use it to read an article, scroll through social media, watch a movie, or play a game. Each of these activities has its own specific terminology, and no single term has risen to the level of “TV” as a universal stand-in for all personal device content.

WE&P by: EZorrillaMc

Google&GeminiSourced