Technological Improvements and The Active Audience Theory

Ethnographic Assignment
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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 part...