Digital
media - TV
We refer
digital media to applications of microelectronics, computers and
telecommunications that either offer new services (e.g. mobile phones) or
enhancement of older ones (high definition TV). But more than technological
innovations, we are concerned with how individuals or organizations change
their patterns for communication by using digital media. My most favourite form
of digital media is the TV. I was doing some research on it and I found that
vastly used communication systems like TV and computers are actually
fragmenting the “mass” audience into narrower user groups. Zillmann and
Bryant(1985)1. examined relationships between reasons for
television viewing and specific program
choices. They found that distressed individuals were most likely to watch
soothing television programs lacking any wide emotional content. Television
viewing has two specific styles. They are ritualized and instrumental. Rubin2.
distinguished between them and he positioned ritualized viewing as habitual and
frequent television use in search of companionship or a way to pass time,
whereas instrumental viewing is highly selective and purposeful. But I think
this cannot be applied in all areas of television viewing. For eg. Let’s
consider news. The men in my family are really into watching news and keeping
themselves updated (and sometimes because they have nothing else to do). They
keep shuffling the news channels every couple of hours. This comes under both
ritualized and instrumental. Ritualized because it is habitual and frequent and
instrumental because it is purposeful. Agree?
References:
1. Zillmann, D., & Bryant, J. (1985).
Affect, mood, and emotion as determinants of selective exposure. In D. Zillmann
& J. Bryant (Eds.), Selective exposure to communication (pp. 157–190).
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
2. Rubin,
Alan M. (1984). Ritualized and instrumental television viewing, Journal of
Communication, Vol 34(3), 1984, 67-77.
