Television and the Internet: The role digital technologies play in adolescents' audio-visual media consumption. Young television audiences in Catalonia (Spain)

Abstract

The aim of this reported study was to investigate adolescents TV consumption habits and perceptions. Although there appears to be no general consensus on how the Internet affects TV consumption by teenagers, and data vary depending on the country, according to our study, Spanish adolescents perceive television as a habit of the past and find the computer a device more suited to their recreational and audio-visual consumption needs. The data obtained from eight focus groups of teenagers aged between 12 and 18 and an online survey sent to their parents show that watching TV is an activity usually linked to the home's communal spaces. On the contrary, online audio-visual consumption (understood as a wider term not limited to just TV shows) is perceived by adolescents as a more convenient activity as it adapts to their own schedules and needs.

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar los hábitos y percepciones de consumo de los adolescentes. Aunque parece que no hay un consenso general sobre la forma en que Internet afecta el consumo de TV de los adolescentes, y los datos varían según el país, según nuestro estudio, los adolescentes españoles perciben la televisión como un hábito del pasado y encuentran en la computadora un dispositivo más adecuado para sus necesidades de consumo recreativo y audiovisual.

L'objectiu d'aquest estudi va ser investigar els hàbits i percepcions de consum dels adolescents. Encara que sembla que no hi ha un consens general sobre la forma en què Internet afecta el consum de TV dels adolescents, i les dades varien segons el país, segons el nostre estudi, els adolescents espanyols perceben la televisió com un hàbit del passat i troben en la ordinador un dispositiu més adequat per a les seves necessitats de consum recreatiu i audiovisual.