Patterns Of Media Use Research Articles

Investigating Parental Factors for Adolescent Problematic Gaming and Social Media Use – A Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Approach

PurposeIncreasing concern has been raised on the addictive potential of digital games and socialmedia platforms, especially in adolescent users. Hence, investigating the etiology of problematic gaming (PG) and problematic social-media use (PSMU) is of great scientific and clinical interest. Parental factors have not been sufficiently addressed yet. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the predictive values of parental demographic, psychological, parenting, and role model factors for adolescent PG/PSMU. MethodsIn a representative parent-child (10–17 years) sample parental factors and adolescent PG/PSMU were assessed cross-sectionally (Ndyads = 1221) and longitudinally (Ndyads = 659) using online-questionnaires at two measurement points 14 months apart. Parental factors included parental media-use patterns, sociodemographic aspects, (digital) emotion regulation, stress perception, (digital) parental self-efficacy, and media rules. Best subset linear regression models were estimated to identify parental factors with greatest predictive values. These were included in prospective linear regression analyses. ResultsAt the cross-sectional level, 18% of model variance predicting PG and 24% predicting PSMU could be explained by parental media-use patterns, media rules, and (digital) parental self-efficacy after controlling for adolescent age. Longitudinally, 33% of variance in the PG model and 34% of variance of the PSMU model could be explained by parental media-use patterns and parental self-efficacy after controlling for adolescent age and baseline PG/PSMU. DiscussionThis study is the first to differentially investigate parental factors in the context of adolescent PG/PSMU in a prospective representative parent-child study. Aspects of digital parental role modeling and parenting could be identified as promising anchors for prevention and treatment.

Artists or art thieves? media use, media messages, and public opinion about artificial intelligence image generators

AbstractThis study investigates how patterns of media use and exposure to media messages are related to attitudes about artificial intelligence (AI) image generators. In doing so, it builds on theoretical accounts of media framing and public opinion about science and technology topics, including AI. The analyses draw on data from a survey of the US public (N = 1,035) that included an experimental manipulation of exposure to tweets framing AI image generators in terms of real art, artists’ concerns, artists’ outrage, or competing interpretations. The results show that technology news use and science fiction viewing predicted support for AI art but also predicted belief that AI image generators will take jobs and steal art styles from human artists. In addition, the experimental results demonstrate that exposure to specific media messages can influence these responses. The findings carry implications for understanding the future adoption, use, and regulation of AI image generators.

Patterns of media use and leisure time among older adults

The aging population is rapidly growing both in the United States and many other parts of the world. Simultaneously, technology is rapidly progressing, and new forms of media have become integrated into daily life and societal participation. This study uses time diary data from a panel survey of members of nationally representative households ( N = 1776) to explore patterns of media use and functionally equivalent leisure time among older adults. The data support a three-profile typology of older adult use of media and non-media leisure activities. These include the computer socializer, the hobbyist, and the television watcher. We elaborate on these patterns of use and explore correlates with demographic and well-being variables. We find no evidence that well-being significantly differs across profiles of media use but identify income and employment status as potential drivers of older adults’ media activity, with implications for digital inequalities.

Patterns of Media Use, Strength of Belief in COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories, and the Prevention of COVID-19 From March to July 2020 in the United States: Survey Study.

BackgroundHolding conspiracy beliefs regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has been associated with reductions in both actions to prevent the spread of the infection (eg, mask wearing) and intentions to accept a vaccine when one becomes available. Patterns of media use have also been associated with acceptance of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. Here we ask whether the type of media on which a person relies increased, decreased, or had no additional effect on that person’s COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs over a 4-month period.ObjectiveWe used panel data to explore whether use of conservative and social media in the United States, which were previously found to be positively related to holding conspiracy beliefs about the origins and prevention of COVID-19, were associated with a net increase in the strength of those beliefs from March to July of 2020. We also asked whether mainstream news sources, which were previously found to be negatively related to belief in pandemic-related conspiracies, were associated with a net decrease in the strength of such beliefs over the study period. Additionally, we asked whether subsequent changes in pandemic conspiracy beliefs related to the use of media were also related to subsequent mask wearing and vaccination intentions.MethodsA survey that we conducted with a national US probability sample in March of 2020 and again in July with the same 840 respondents assessed belief in pandemic-related conspiracies, use of various types of media information sources, actions taken to prevent the spread of the disease and intentions to vaccinate, and various demographic characteristics. Change across the two waves was analyzed using path analytic techniques.ResultsWe found that conservative media use predicted an increase in conspiracy beliefs (β=.17, 99% CI .10-.25) and that reliance on mainstream print predicted a decrease in their belief (β=–.08, 99% CI –.14 to –.02). Although many social media platforms reported downgrading or removing false or misleading content, ongoing use of such platforms by respondents predicted growth in conspiracy beliefs as well (β=.072, 99% CI .018-.123). Importantly, conspiracy belief changes related to media use between the two waves of the study were associated with the uptake of mask wearing and changes in vaccination intentions in July. Unlike other media, use of mainstream broadcast television predicted greater mask wearing (β=.17, 99% CI .09-.26) and vaccination intention (β=.08, 95% CI .02-.14), independent of conspiracy beliefs.ConclusionsThe findings point to the need for greater efforts on the part of commentators, reporters, and guests on conservative media to report verifiable information about the pandemic. The results also suggest that social media platforms need to be more aggressive in downgrading, blocking, and counteracting claims about COVID-19 vaccines, claims about mask wearing, and conspiracy beliefs that have been judged problematic by public health authorities.

COVID-19 Echo Chambers: Examining the Impact of Conservative and Liberal News Sources on Risk Perception and Response.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created substantial challenges for public health officials who must communicate pandemic-related risks and recommendations to the public. Their efforts have been further hampered by the politicization of the pandemic, including media outlets that question the seriousness and necessity of protective actions. The availability of highly politicized news from online platforms has led to concerns about the notion of “echo chambers,” whereby users are exposed only to information that conforms to and reinforces their existing beliefs. Using a sample of 5,000 US residents, we explored their information-seeking tendencies, reliance on conservative and liberal online media, risk perceptions, and mitigation behaviors. The results of our study suggest that risk perceptions may vary across preferences for conservative or liberal bias; however, our results do not support differences in the mitigation behavior across patterns of media use. Further, our findings do not support the notion of echo chambers, but rather suggest that people with lower information-seeking behavior may be more strongly influenced by politicized COVID-19 news. Risk estimates converge at higher levels of information seeking, suggesting that high information seekers consume news from sources across the political spectrum. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications for the study of online echo chambers and their practical implications for public health officials and emergency managers.

PRE-ELECTION AWARENESS OF VOTERS IN INDIA

The present paper examines the role of voters before an election. It analyses the awareness and participation of voters before an election and what will they do to make them active partners in the democratic system of India. In this paper, right of vote, media coverage, political interest and political discussion have an impact on voters. Whether voter’s political awareness influences their participation in electoral activities. The results indicate that a majority of the voters need more awareness about politics. Their level of political awareness is accounted for by their level of interest in politics, pattern of media use and frequency of political discussion. The result also reports a limited impact of political awareness on voter’s participation in electoral activities.

The interaction of evolving media structure and life-course dynamics: the changing landscape of media use in China (2005–2015)

ABSTRACT The advent of the Internet has brought great changes in media use, yet little is known about how media use has changed in China and what leads to the overall media-use changes. Using three waves of the China General Social Survey from 2005 to 2015, this study examines age, period, and cohort effects on transitions in Internet, television, and newspaper use. It also tracks the substitution dynamics between the Internet and existing media. The results evidence that (1) cohorts maintain their formative media-use habits in later life. (2) They also adjust media use by the interplay of evolving media structure and life-course phases. (3) The media-use adjustment is also a dynamic process balancing between the emerging and existing media use, based on their compatibility. In summary, the life courses of different cohorts are embedded in the evolving media structure, resulting in the distinguished media-use patterns of digital natives, intermediates, and immigrants. The overall media-use changes could happen through cohort succession or the profound impact of media structure transitions in a certain period.

What Media Helps, What Media Hurts: A Mixed Methods Survey Study of Coping with COVID-19 Using the Media Repertoire Framework and the Appraisal Theory of Stress.

BackgroundSocial and physical distancing in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has made screen-mediated information and communication technologies (media) indispensable. Whether an increase in screen use is a source of or a relief for stress remains to be seen.ObjectiveIn the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdowns, we investigated the relation between subjective stress and changes in the pattern of media use. Based on Lazarus’s transactional model of appraisal and coping, and building on an earlier similar survey, we hypothesize that individual differences in the appraisal of media predict variations in approach or avoidance of media for coping with COVID-19 stress.MethodsBetween March 20 and April 20, 2020, a brief snowball survey entitled: “What media helps, what media hurts: coping with COVID19 through screens” was distributed via Concordia University’s mailing lists and social media (PERFORM Centre, EngAGE Centre, and Media Health Lab). Using a media repertoire method, we asked questions about preferences, changes in use, and personal appraisal of media experiences (approach, avoid, and ignore) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated interindividual differences in media use by factors such as subjective stress, age, gender, and self-reported mental health.ResultsMore than 90% of the survey respondents were in Canada and the east coast of the United States. From 685 completed responses, 169 respondents were “very stressed” and 452 were “slightly worried” about the pandemic. COVID-19 stress led to increased use of Facebook (χ23=11.76, P=.008), television (χ23=12.40, P=.006), YouTube (χ23=8.577, P=.04), and streaming services such as Netflix (χ23=10.71, P=.01). Respondents who considered their mental health “not good” were twice as likely to prefer streaming services as a coping tool for self-isolation. Women and nonbinary respondents were twice as likely than men to pick social media for coping. Individuals younger than 35 years were 3 times more likely to pick computer games, and individuals older than 55 years were more likely to pick network television or print media. Gender affected the appraisal of media (less in men than others) in terms of avoid (F1,637=5.84, P=.02) and approach scores (F1,637=14.31, P<.001). Subjective mental health affected the ignore score (less in those who said “good” than others; F1,637=13.88, P<.001). The appraisal score and use increase explained variations in worrying about physical and mental health stress due to increased screen time. A qualitative analysis of open-ended questions revealed that media (especially social networks) were important for coping if they provided support and connection through the dissemination of factual and positive information while avoiding the overflow of sensational and false news.ConclusionsThe relationship between appraisal of media’s positive and negative facets vary with demographic differences in mental health resiliency. The media repertoire approach is an important tool in studies that focus on assessing the benefits and harms of screen overuse in different populations, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Combining Old and New : Patterns of Media Use across Legacy and Online Media in Germany

With the emergence of the Internet over the last decades, people have access to a wide variety of media content as never before, leading to multiple new media consumption practices. As people integrate new means of communication into their everyday lives, this necessarily leads to questions concerning the relationship between legacy media and digital media. By analyzing representative survey data of adult Internet users in Germany collected in the collaborative research project “The Peoples’ Internet” (PIN), the present study examined media repertoires from a holistic perspective. Via factor and cluster analysis, we identified five distinct media repertoires that significantly differentiated in terms of age, gender and education. For the majority of the German population, legacy media still play a dominant role in everyday life. However, a group of young users mainly relies on a wide range of online media that has the potential to displace legacy media. But rather than expecting a pure displacement of legacy media or just an addition of online media to existing repertoires, our findings suggest to look closely into the specific combinations of ‘old’ and ‘new’ media that can be observed in different parts of the population.

Broadening ‘Media’ for Development Communication: Alternative Channels Employed in Loja, Ecuador

When communicators use media and communication to address problems of development, we seek to assess whether those interventions are grounded in current development challenges and in patterns of media use. Additional challenges emerge, however, from patterns in media use between those used by development communication professionals and those that are accessible to communities. Electronic media, such as radio and television, or digital media platforms, including computer-based and mobile technologies, are available in urbanized areas of the global south, but are not accessible to all communities. Our study group has engaged three rural communities located in the mountainous province of Loja, Ecuador for over a decade through development communication efforts. Since these communities experience low access to electronic and digital media, our study group and the communities had to re-think what ‘media’ means in these communities. Drawing on our experiences of co-creating graffiti walls, songs and plays, we argue that development communicators must be open to channels of media that are neither electronic nor digital, but are accessible to communities in which we work.

Erratum: It Takes at Least Two to Tango: A Population-Level Perspective on Interrelated Patterns of Media Use

Erratum: It Takes at Least Two to Tango: A Population-Level Perspective on Interrelated Patterns of Media Use

It Takes at Least Two to Tango: A Population-Level Perspective on Interrelated Patterns of Media Use

We introduce a population-level perspective on the longstanding debate on displacement versus complementarity by recognizing that an individual's social interactions are dependent on emerging media use patterns in the wider population. Our longitudinal, cross-regional analyses at the population-level and individual-level indicate that two opposing forces coexist: individual Internet use and individual face-to-face (f2f) interaction are positively correlated, suggesting complementarity. However, local peers' Internet use and individual f2f interactions are negatively related, suggesting displacement. Interestingly, when social networking site uptake is high, individual Internet non-use is associated with a more pronounced negative association between peers' Internet use and individual-level f2f interactions. We discuss the implications of coexisting individual-level complementarity and population-level displacement for both users and non-users.

Media Engagement and Identity Formation Among Minority Youth.

Clinicians who work with youth should understand how they engage with screen media, including differences between ethnic groups, and how to maximize its positive potential and minimize negative consequences. This article presents data summarizing patterns of media use by youth, with an emphasis on European Americans, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans. The authors explain how identity formation and social identity theory relate to online influences, benefits, and risks of online engagement, including those specific to minority populations. The authors clarify how child mental health professionals may use this information to better treat patients and their families.

Media Use and Exposure to Graphic Content in the Week Following the Boston Marathon Bombings.

Traditional and new media inform and expose the public to potentially distressing graphic content following disasters, but predictors of media use have received limited attention. We examine media-use patterns after the Boston Marathon bombings (BMB) in a representative national U.S. sample (n=2888), with representative oversamples from metropolitan Boston (n=845) and New York City (n=941). Respondents completed an Internet-based survey 2-4weeks post-BMB. Use of traditional media was correlated with older age, prior indirect media-based exposure to collective traumas, and direct BMB exposure. New media use was correlated with younger age and prior direct exposure to collective traumas. Increased television and online news viewing were associated with exposure to more graphic content. The relationship between traditional and new media was stronger for young adults than all other age groups. We offer insights about the relationship between prior collective trauma exposures and media use following subsequent disasters and identify media sources likely to expose people to graphic content.

Veza između povjerenja u novinarstvo i korištenja medija

Veza između povjerenja u novinarstvo i korištenja medija

More connected, less attached: Factors shaping junior ranks’ perceptions of the Australian media’s coverage of the Australian Defence Force

This article seeks to understand what Australian Defence Force (ADF) junior ranks think about the Australian media’s coverage of defence issues and ADF operations. Through the analysis of original survey data, it considers how patterns of media use and the opinions of superiors, family and friends influence their views. This article compares these data with the findings from an earlier survey, which used the same survey instrument to examine what mid-ranking officers in the ADF thought about media coverage of the military. It explores the contrasts and continuities between the differing survey cohorts and considers what these suggest about the origins of and influences on their opinions. It concludes that while the surveys reveal a good deal about what ADF personnel think about the media’s coverage of their operations, it raises questions about why they think as they do that can only be answered through further studies.

Use of Electronic Media and its Relationship with Academic Achievement among School Going Adolescents

The study examined patterns of use of older and newer electronic media at home among school going adolescents and studied its relationship with academic functioning. Patterns of media use, television and internet, was studied for 362 school going adolescents aged 14–18 years. Academic functioning was assessed with the help of subtests of the Woodcock Johnson III Achievement Test Battery. Time spent on the computer, regardless of content, was positively correlated to academic outcomes. In contrast time spent watching television was negatively correlated to academic achievement. Possibly the new electronic media is interactive and provides more choices with respect to content and leads to improved academic functioning. There is need to increase access to electronic technology to bridge the digital divide among disadvantaged Indian youth.

Patterns of Media Use and Reflections on Media among young Danes

Abstract The present article examines cross-media use among 10- to 16-year-old Danish children and adolescents. Our research interest is in identifying and affirming patterns among media use, gender and age. Using a methodological design that combines qualitative and quantitative methods, we interviewed participants regarding their media use and paired our qualitative findings with quantitative rating inquiries generated from Danish commercial databases. Our results suggest that although cross-media use is complex and differs according to age and gender, media are often used for similar purposes, e.g., sustaining social relationships.

Global warming's five Germanys: A typology of Germans' views on climate change and patterns of media use and information.

People's attitudes toward climate change differ, and these differences may correspond to distinct patterns of media use and information seeking. However, studies extending analyses of attitude types and their specific media diets to countries beyond the United States are lacking. We use a secondary analysis of survey data from Germany to identify attitudes toward climate change among the German public and specify those segments of the population based on their media use and information seeking. Similar to the Global Warming's Six Americas study, we find distinct attitudes (Global Warming's Five Germanys) that differ in climate change-related perceptions as well as in media use and communicative behavior. These findings can help tailor communication campaigns regarding climate change to specific audiences.

Selecting Our Own Science

We use an experiment with a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population to examine how political partisans consume and process media reports about nanotechnology—a scientific issue that is unfamiliar to most Americans. We manipulate the extent to which participants receive ideological cues contextualizing a news article, and follow their subsequent information seeking about nanotechnology. Our results provide insights into patterns of media use and how media use differs among people with varying political ideologies. When cues clarifying the political stakes of nanotechnology are made available, individuals are willing to read information from countervailing sources. When such cues are lacking, however, individuals avoid incongruent information and opt for headlines from attitude-consistent sources. We explore variations in the circumstances under which ideological selectivity occurs and demonstrate that both confirmation bias and defensive avoidance are heightened under such conditions.