Imagined user modes: Media morality in everyday life

Abstract

This article deals with the moral dimensions of everyday media use. It discusses the values, strategies and norms of the moral economy of media use in everyday life. First, it identifies three different kinds of values connected with media texts and technologies. Second, it discusses different strategies to create a morally correct balance in everyday life. Third, it puts forward the concept of imagined user modes to deepen our understanding of the moral dimensions of everyday media use. Imagined user modes are preconceptions of different technologies and texts and relate to our ideas of how the media affect those who are using them. They are considered when negotiating with ourselves on proper behaviours in specific situations, and therefore they can be different, depending on individual value systems and ideas of a morally correct behaviour.