New media adoption and usage among Flemish youngsters

Abstract

This article presents a study on the adoption and usage of new media among a representative sample of Flemish youngsters. Some major findings include the dominant role of computers and Internet in the media behavior of these youngsters, challenging traditional media such as TV and radio. However, the supposed popularity of mobile applications and gaming among youngsters was not universally present in our sample, which led us to look for different profiles within the data. Based on the adoption of new media technology and devices, the studied sample could be divided into four distinct profiles by means of a latent class analysis. The first profile is the youngest and shows high adoption rates of new media devices and technology. Their usage is clearly oriented towards entertainment and includes gaming and various mobile applications. The second profile has a female and working profile with an average usage and adoption of new media. The usage is mostly professional and convenience-oriented in nature, without interest in gaming or mobile applications. The third profile is distinctively male and focuses its media usage on computer, Internet and mobile applications, but clearly show no interest in (mobile) gaming consoles. The fourth and final profile is the oldest and counts the least students. It is the least equipped in terms of new media. However, they are more likely to use their less advanced devices to their full potential. By this, this article challenges the stereotypical view of young people as ‘homogenous mass’ of early adopters of new media devices and technologies by showing that there are different types of media users and usage among youngsters.