Remember when people would watch TV just to watch TV? Even more unbelievable: remember when it was the only “gadget” in the room?

It’s obvious the TV-watching experience has changed. Over 77% of viewers are on their computers, tablets, or phones while watching their favorite shows. Many of us even get online to discuss the shows with other fans via Twitter. We gush about the unbelievable plot twist that just happened, rant about our favorite side-character not getting enough screen time, or shout about our great idea for how the series should play out.

We know technology and social media have changed the TV-watching experience, but can these mediums ultimately change a show’s plot, too? Do die-hard fans’ tweets actually have an impact on a show? According to a few writers and directors, sometimes they can.

What Do the Experts Think?

Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse, co-creator and showrunner of the new FX series "The Strain." Kevin Winter/Getty Images I recently had a chance to interview director Guillermo del Toro ("Pacific Rim," "Hellboy") and writer Carlton Cuse ("Lost," "Bates Motel") about their new FX series, "The Strain." Sure, they had a lot to say about the monsters, special effects, and creepy billboards from the show, but I wanted to know if they follow along with all the live tweeting and social media action that occurs during the live broadcasts. It turns out they do:

Carlton Cuse: I think both Guillermo and I are hopeful that fans are going to enjoy the show and we’ll be looking to see how people react. It’s instructive, as we’ll be looking forward to the second season to see what people like and don’t like. The advent of social media has created a real conversation around the show, and there were positive aspects that I experienced in "Lost" and I expect the same in "The Strain."

Guillermo del Toro: I think when you can see the audience react in an immediate way it’s going to be extremely useful. I’m certainly aware of the Internet reaction. I don’t respond because I don’t have the means to, but I do read the feedback and I do think you have to be able to feed on it and react to it in the proper way. None of the traits of the show are set in stone. I do expect great feedback either way that will help us create a show that delivers the unique experience of "The Strain."

Based on my conversations with del Toro and Cuse, our online feedback actually could help change aspects of the show. Exciting, right?

Ratings vs. Social Media

A writer can get a slight feel for how his or her show is doing by looking at the ratings, but these can be misleading. Just look at the series finale of "How I Met Your Mother." It set ratings records, but the general reaction was extremely negative. In fact, it was so negative that the first result in a Google search for “'How I Met Your Mother' Finale” is an article called “People Are So, So Pissed About the 'How I Met Your Mother' Finale.”

Review sites can give a slightly better idea of what people think, but they can often be biased and spun. To get a true, real-time reaction of what the audience is feeling as the scenes unfold, the best place to go is Twitter. Writers and directors are open about the fact that they’re following along to our conversations.

Writer and director, Edward Burns ("Saving Private Ryan," "Newlyweds"), is very open about using Twitter to tweak ideas. He’ll often post a few choices for what a character might do next and let his followers vote on it, writing the outcome into the script.

He has also let Twitter fans name his characters and even had a contest for someone to win a one-line part in a movie. These are highly-effective marketing tactics as well — his is audience can eagerly watch a character show up on screen and say “I helped name that!” Burns connects with fans on an individual basis and lets them personally contribute to the show. What better way to spark engagement and loyalty?

Another Twitter-savvy director is Paul Osborne ("Favor," "Official Rejection"). When I asked him what Twitter was like for him, he said “Twitter is more than just a way for a filmmaker to promote his work; it's a resource that can be utilized during the entire life of the movie. It's an ocean from which you can pull talent, crew, equipment, money, press connections, marketing research and, perhaps most importantly, audience feedback.”

What better way to get audience feedback than to hear it from fans the moment they see the finished product?

Tweet Your Heart Out

Of course, just because you rant about a show for long enough doesn’t mean you’ll always be heard. No matter how upset you are about the end of "How I Met Your Mother" (or "Lost"), it’s not going to change. Still, it’s nice to know there’s a slight possibility that our tweets can have an impact. As del Toro said, “None of the traits of the show are set in stone.”

Now to find out if asking my favorite band to come to my city ever works …

Scott Huntington is a writer, journalist, and career expert from Pennsylvania. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington.