Technological Improvements and The Active Audience Theory

Ethnographic Assignment
Name
Institution
Due Date
Ethnographic Assignment
Introduction
Media consumption refers to the sum of information as well as entertainment media that an individual or a group utilizes. There has been a rise in the level of engagement between people and the media due to the technology’s complex and penetrative nature. The various technological changes ensure elaborate connections across networks through radio, online news, television, and social media. Such technological improvements ensure the availability and accessibility of information to people across ages. However, implications are linked to such easy access to information, especially for the young generation (Berryman et al., 2017).
This study utilizes a qualitative method to learn about the youths’ perception of parents and peer influence media engagement. The study focuses on using social media, obtaining new stories through different sources, and television. Social media presents one of the most important elements that influence the developmental process for young adults. This is evident through their interaction with fellow peers since they form identities online (Berryman et al., 2017). Some of the activities that characterize developments at the young adult stage entail increasing communication through new forms of media technology. Such improvement allows for constant contact amongst peers; therefore, it supports the need for affiliation.
Body
Active audience theory
This theory is based on the assumption of the active involvement of individual experiences on media consumption. The theory takes into account the aspect of the agency of the audience. Incorporating the audience entails a conscious, deliberate choice of the various means of engaging the media. There is a high probability of unconscious action if individuals automatically interpret media messages in different ways without deliberate intentions. Such deliberations may be based on personal biases, level of knowledge, as well as personalities. Audiences are capable of filtering media messages either consciously or unconsciously based on individual perspective. Such perspectives are influenced by various factors such as values, beliefs, individual experiences, education, and interests, amongst other factors. The sensible aspect of media experiences is made possible through individual and social contexts to interpret messages as received. The aspect of class and culture influences the decoding of media messages, leading to differences in interpretation amongst individuals. However, audiences’ participation, especially in media consumption and interpretation, does not remove the general impact of media. Generally, the theory considers the important factor in individual approaches alongside their different responses (Mudavanhu, 2020).
Research questions
* What are some of the factors influencing youth’s media usage?
* What emotional experiences do media trigger and the association between the type of media and various emotional responses?
* How does the youth perceive the potential harmful media practices?
Methodology
The study utilized the qualitative methodology based on the grounded theory. The study utilized nine participants, seven male and two female ranged between 15 to 20 years. The participation was voluntary, with compensation being provided in the form of a gift card to each volunteer upon completing the semi-structured interviews (Mudavanhu, 2020).
The interview was conducted by use of semi-structured questions (Appendix A) that answered specific research questions. The questions explored the type of media that the participant engaged including their perceptions of the media. There was also an exploration of the influence of peers on media choices on media effects on development (Berryman et al., 2017).
Procedure
The researcher obtained permission from the administration of the identified institutions through email. The institutions accepted the request for data collection amongst the students who volunteered. The researcher conducted a brief presentation to explain the purposes of the study to the students. Information on the data collection process was provided, including the ultimate use. Consent forms were sent to parents through the students for approval concerning audio recording (Berryman et al., 2017).
The interested participants were asked to return complete forms to their school administration within a period of fourteen days. After the elapse of the set time, all the nine forms were received back. The interviews were conducted in a private office within the school; a single interview duration was 30 minutes. A total of eight interviews were audio-taped and later transcribed. Hand-written notes were taken for one of the interviews.
Data analysis
The data analysis took place by the use of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The interview data transcription took place on a computer, whereby the transcriptions underwent review before actual analysis. Salient quotes were retrieved from the scripts, followed by the development of one-word codes. The codes were used for the labelling of the quotes for common grouping ideas. Afterwards, there was the creation of one-sentence summaries to reveal the main ideas obtained from the interviews. Then t...