Museums Unplugged

Abstract

Mobile communication devices (MCDs) are a ubiquitous part of modern life, particularly for younger people. Early evidence about the impact of MCDs on both the leisure participation and leisure experiences of young people provides conflicting results with debate continuing about whether these devices distract from, or enhance, leisure experiences. The present study explores this issue in relation to young people's experiences in museums. Ninety-four Chinese university students, studying abroad in a different language and cultural context, were randomly assigned to one of two groups as part of a museum field trip, one with and one without access to MCDs. No significant differences were found between these two groups for affective response, measures of cognitive engagement, perceived learning or satisfaction with the experience. There was also no significant difference in the overall time spent in the exhibition, but there was a significant difference in the number of exhibits stopped at with the groups having access to MCDs having the higher mean. Implications for managing the use of MCDs in museums as leisure settings are suggested.