Online Technology, Edutainment and Infotainment

1
Online Technology, Edutainment and Infotainment

• Xiaofei Lu
• APLNG 083S
• November 8, 2007

2
Overview

• Introduction
• Theories of online entertainment media adoption
• Empirical findings
• Social change implications

2
3
Introduction

• Uses and impact of online entertainment
• Changes in access to and content of the Internet
• Potential for major changes in media use
• User control of information consumption
• Blog, CMC, interactive computer games
• Online dating services, Usenet News Groups
• Human needs associated with Internet use
• Information, communication, entertainment, escape

3
4
Introduction (contd)

• Positive and negative impact
• Mobilizing grassroots social movements
• Civil protests and demonstrations
• Presidential candidate campaigns
• Internet addiction
• Gaming, gambling, cybersex
• Antisocial activities
• Scams (clip), terrorist/cult activities, criminal
  activities

4
5
Theoretical explanations

• Uses and gratifications theory
• Studies patterns of predictions of media
• Escape info seeking as predictors (Lin 2002)
• Keeping informed a dominant factor
• Failure to handle the issue with causality
• Ignorance of consumer needs for news

5
6
Diffusion theory

• Adoption dynamics
• Critical point at which people adopt new services
• Attributes of innovation and of earlier adopters
• Innovation theory
• Innovative individuals adopt new services earlier
• Necessary education and resources for adoption
• Psychological traits of adopters
• Adopters perceptions of innovation
• Reaching a critical mass

6
7
Convergence

• Behaviors arise out of the merging of media and
  related behaviors
• Electronic chats for social discourse
• New media renders a convergence along economic
  and technology domains
• AOL-Timer Warner
• Google-Youtube
• The Internet as an Intermedia medium
• Theory of fluidity

7
8
Media substitution hypothesis

• Principle of relative constancy
• New media displaces functionally similar existing
  media
• TV competing with radio for audience, talent, ads
• Counterexamples?
• New media generally derives sustenance from
  resources that otherwise go to existing media

8
9
Concept of repertoires

• Principle that people select a smaller set of
  offerings based on interests or needs
• Predicts selection of limited websites to visit
• Internet users prefer moderate levels of content
  diversity
• Does this apply to you?

9
10
Functional similarity

• Principle that some media are more successful
• Fit existing media uses
• Improve on existing technology
• Notion of innovation compatibility
• Audiences adopt new media falling within a
  technology cluster of functionally similar media
• Successful new Internet services
• More efficient alternatives for existing behaviors

10
11
Parasocial interaction

• Media users identify with media characters
• Leads to higher viewership
• Increases consumption of character-related
  products
• Predicative of media adoption and use
• A critical variable for online retailing
• Amount of time customers spend with hosts
• Psychological need to interact with hosts
• Interactive site for Diet Pepsi featuring Ray
  Charles

11
12
Media dependency theory

• Relationships between users and media
• Users may rely on a medium if it helps fulfill
• Ones cognitive and affective needs
• Ones media-use goals based on past use experience

12
13
Psychological impacts

• Psychological impacts of change from traditional
  media to virtual world
• Relationship between
• Degrees of media interactivity
• User perception of interaction as real or
  credible
• Users internal responses
• Media with greater levels of presence more
  compelling

13
14
Dynamic interactivity model

• A set of factors determining uses of new media
• Adoption factors
• Technical factors
• Mutual causation

14
15
Inadequacy of theories

• No clear set of theoretical explanations for
  social impacts of the Internet
• More research needed to examine
• User characteristics
• User motivations

15
16
Empirical findings

• Access, digital divide and knowledge gap
• Lack of access or skills/knowledge
• Digital divide and knowledge gap
• Gap in Internet use by education
• Implications of the knowledge gap
• Loss of economic and informational power

16
17
Education and learning

• Educational benefit of technologies
• Intentional learning (distance learning)
• Incidental and lifelong learning
• Use of Internet for
• Accessing resources and sharing work
• Widening opportunities for lifelong learning and
  virtual campuses
• Tying together multiple campuses
• Providing flexible learning environment

17
18
Education and learning

• Relative anonymity of the electronic classroom
• Edutainment education entertainment
• Health and medicine information
• Increase in high-quality information sources
• Risks

18
19
Social interaction

• Need for communication and Internet use
• Positive
• Heavier use may increase self-esteem and less
  tress
• Tails to interests in diversified communication
  sources current events
• Negative
• Reliance on games and pornography
• IM may lead to more anxiety
• Overuse lead to withdrawal, depression, feelings
  of loss of control

19
20
Information

• Internet as a potent information source
• Use of online news sources
• Blogs perceived as highly credible
• But note blogger position or belief
• Infotainment news merged with entertainment
• Saturday Night Live as primary sources for
  election news

20
21
Dependency and addiction

• Internet behavioral dependence
• Typical symptoms
• Effect on students study habits, grades,
  absences
• Cognitive style and Internet use
• Levels of desired stimulation and media
  preference
• Technology causing addiction?
• Internal characteristics
• Technology provides an outlet

21
22
Social change implications

• Internet offers easier access to entertainment
  content and related products
• Individual characteristics and motivations most
  important
• A lack of clear theory and need for research
  development
• Need to study impacts related to other
  technologies

22