Television Use in Everyday Life: Coping with Unstructured Time

Kubey, Robert

doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1986.tb01441.x

Cited by 93 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Given that sleep problems have been associated with negative affect (Galambos et al, 2009) and poor overall emotional adjustment (Tavernier and Willoughby, 2013), emerging adults who report more sleep problems may seek out media as a coping mechanism to help regulate their emotions (Chen and Kennedy, 2005;Van der Goot et al, 2012). Additionally, as an activity that requires little physical and mental effort, both television viewing (Kubey, 1986) as well as passive browsing on online social networking websites (Tosun, 2012) are prime candidates for individuals with sleep problems (e.g. difficulty falling asleep) wishing to fill in their time spent trying to fall asleep.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sleep problems: predictor or outcome of media use among emerging adults at university?

Tavernier

Willoughby

2014

Journal of Sleep Research

162

106

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SUMMARYThe pervasiveness of media use in our society has raised concerns about its potential impact on important lifestyle behaviours, including sleep. Although a number of studies have modelled poor sleep as a negative outcome of media use, a critical assessment of the literature indicates two important gaps: (i) studies have almost exclusively relied on concurrent data, and thus have not been able to assess the direction of effects; and (ii) studies have largely been conducted with children and adolescents. The purpose of the present 3-year longitudinal study, therefore, was to examine whether both sleep duration and sleep problems would be predictors or outcomes of two forms of media use (i.e. television and online social networking) among a sample of emerging adults. Participants were 942 (71.5% female) university students (M = 19.01 years, SD = 0.90) at Time 1. Survey measures, which were assessed for three consecutive years starting in the first year of university, included demographics, sleep duration, sleep problems, television and online social networking use. Results of a cross-lagged model indicated that the association between sleep problems and media use was statistically significant: sleep problems predicted longer time spent watching television and on social networking websites, but not vice versa. Contrary to our hypotheses, sleep duration was not associated with media use. Our findings indicate no negative effects of media use on sleep among emerging adults, but instead suggest that emerging adults appear to seek out media as a means of coping with their sleep problems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, given that technological advances have led to increased ease of accessing media (e.g. through cell phones; Jacobsen and Forste, 2011), poor sleep quality also may lead to greater media use over time as individuals now can more easily engage in media use when they have difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep (Kubey, 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sleep problems: predictor or outcome of media use among emerging adults at university?

Tavernier

Willoughby

2014

Journal of Sleep Research

162

106

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“…16 Second, previous studies have conceptualized electronic media as a filler for ''unstructured time,'' a leisure activity occupying time not filled with organized activities such as class, work, and so on. 13,17 These studies have disregarded the function of electronic media in multitasking. [18][19][20] College students and adolescents use electronic media simultaneously with other media (e.g., checking Facebook while IMing) or during activities requiring more focused attention, like class.…”

Section: Electronic Media and Academic Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…29,30 Electronic media use may result in a displacement effect due to its function as a filler for open time. 17 For example, time spent watching TV could replace time spent going out with friends because both are used to fill unstructured time. 13 To test accurately the extent to which computermediated communication either displaces or facilitates offline interaction, in-depth time-diary instruments are needed.…”

Section: Electronic Media and Face-to-face Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Wired Generation: Academic and Social Outcomes of Electronic Media Use Among University Students

Jacobsen

Forste

2011

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

497

285

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Little is known about the influence of electronic media use on the academic and social lives of university students. Using time-diary and survey data, we explore the use of various types of electronic media among firstyear students. Time-diary results suggest that the majority of students use electronic media to multitask. Robust regression results indicate a negative relationship between the use of various types of electronic media and firstsemester grades. In addition, we find a positive association between social-networking-site use, cellular-phone communication, and face-to-face social interaction.

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“…The escapist model presumes that television viewing consists largely of a leisurely way to pass the time (Barwise, Ehrenberg, & Goodhardt, 1982;Kubey, 1986) and that television programming is primarily homogeneous in gratifying a time-filling behavior (McQuail, Blumler, & Brown, 1972). Goodhardt, Ehrenberg, and Collins's (1987) study of British television audience behavior is frequently cited as corroboration that audience availability, not selectivity, is paramount in shaping patterns of viewing.…”

Section: Two Theoretical Dichotomiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century

Ruggiero¹

2000

Mass Communication and Society

1,875

561

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Some mass communications scholars have contended that uses and gratifications is not a rigorous social science theory. In this article, I argue just the oppositeWhat mass communication scholars today refer to as the uses and gratifications (U&G) approach is generally recognized to be a subtradition of media effects research (McQuail, 1994). Early in the history of communications research, an approach was developed to study the gratifications that attract and hold audiences to the kinds of media and the types of content that satisfy their social and psychological needs (Cantril, 1942). Much early effects research adopted the experimental or quasi-experimental approach, in which communication conditions were manipulated in search of general lessons about how better to communicate, or about the unintended consequences of messages (Klapper, 1960).

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Television Use in Everyday Life: Coping with Unstructured Time

Abstract: Less afluent, less educated, and divorced or separated respondents were more inclined than others to use television to avoid the negative moods that often coincide with solitude and unstructured time.

Cited by 93 publications

References 17 publications

Sleep problems: predictor or outcome of media use among emerging adults at university?

Sleep problems: predictor or outcome of media use among emerging adults at university?

The Wired Generation: Academic and Social Outcomes of Electronic Media Use Among University Students

Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century

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