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Essay / Media use and consumption in the domestic environment
Audience reception is a key area of interest and research when approaching media audiences. It depends on the viewing context, which makes media use and consumption within the home environment and other contexts an interesting area of study. During the 1980s, the emergence and increasing use of television increased media research on consumption in an everyday context, addressing the home, the family and its contribution to daily life. The importance can be demonstrated through the central position of the television and how the layout of a living room is usually based on it. According to David Morely (1986), television consumption patterns can only be understood in the context of “family leisure activities” (Schroder, Drotner, Kline, Murray, 2003: 8). Therefore, in order to discuss whether aspects of the family environment and other contexts differ in terms of consumption, it is fundamental to explore the family view and patterns of daily life. With the rise of new media and constant technological evolution, home media has succumbed to fragmentation. As an illustration, we can cite televisions, traditionally located in common areas, the movement of the location in each room, as well as the large quantity of channels available, the different platforms on which it can be watched and the arrangements which allow catching up. “In addition, the set has acquired a range of accessories such as VCRs (VCRs), personal computers and remote controls, which have significantly changed the way it is used (Lee, Becker and Schonbach, 1989: 71). The diversity of media platforms available both inside and outside our homes has somewhat merged, making it difficult to access paper everywhere. New media has introduced innovative platforms and ways of consuming media products. They have been integrated into our social context and we are unaware of the different ways in which we constantly rely on technology. This leads us to call for more contemporary studies on new media audiences for deeper analysis and how they have merged different contexts of media consumption. Works Cited Becker LB and Schoenbach K (1989) Audience Responses to Media Diversification, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Lemish D (1982) The Rules of Television Viewing in Public Spaces, HeinOnlineMorely D (1992) Television Audiences and Cultural Studies, London : RoutledgeSchroder K et al. (2003) Researching Audiences, Hodder ArnoldSeiter E (1999) Television Audiences and New Media, Oxford University Press