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COMPARING THE PREFERENCES AND USE PATTERNS OF 

TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA AMONG YOUTHS IN ANAMBRA 

STATE: A CONVERGENCE AND DECONVERGENCE PERSPECTIVE 
 

Ugwu, Ogechukwu Serah, Ph.D. 

Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Management Sciences, Enugu State University of Science 

and Technology (ESUT) Enugu 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16762107 

 

Abstract: This study explores the patterns of television and new media use among youths in Anambra State, 

Nigeria, with particular focus on how demographic factors influence their media preferences. Against the 

backdrop of converging media technologies, the study examines whether media consumption is characterised by 

integration (convergence) or functional separation (deconvergence). A qualitative approach was adopted, 

involving two focus group discussions (FGDs) composed of twelve participants six males and six females aged 

18–30 years. The participants, purposively selected using a snowball technique, were university students and 

graduates residing in Awka, the state capital. The discussions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically 

analysed. Findings revealed that while the participants exhibited a linear and selective use of television often for 

specific programmes such as sports, news, or family bonding they formed complex new media repertoires for 

work, entertainment, and social interaction. These include using smartphones and laptops for messaging, 

computing, browsing, and streaming. A negative correlation was observed between time spent on television and 

new media, suggesting that the platforms are not used concurrently but for distinct purposes. Socio-economic 

factors such as income, education level, and age were significant in shaping access and usage patterns. The study 

concludes that new media has not entirely replaced television among youths. Rather, both platforms coexist with 

differentiated functions, indicating a simultaneous process of media convergence and deconvergence. These 

insights offer implications for media producers and content strategists seeking to engage youth audiences across 

multiple platforms. 

Keywords: media convergence, deconvergence, youth, television, new media, Anambra State, Nigeria. 

 

1.1 Background to the Study 

Media convergence has become a defining feature of the digital communication era, describing the process by 

which different media forms text, video, audio, and graphics—are increasingly integrated and accessed across 

digital platforms. The idea, first conceptualised as the “convergence of modes” by Pool (1983), highlights the 

blurring of boundaries between media once treated as distinct. This development, driven by digitisation, allows 



 

 

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formerly separate media technologies to deliver diverse content on shared platforms, enhancing interactivity and 

user flexibility (Jenkins, 2006; Meikle & Young, 2011). 

Digitisation is central to this shift, as it enables the decoupling of content from specific hardware, allowing voice, 

sound, text, and video to be stored and transferred in standardised formats. This shift has created an ecosystem 

where smartphones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs can perform overlapping media functions, marking what 

Miller (2011) called the "technological core" of convergence. However, scholars caution that convergence is not 

a fixed end-state but a process marked by constant evolution, overlapping developments, and user-driven 

adaptations (Storsul & Stuedahl, 2007; Piel & Sparviero, 2017). 

While convergence highlights integration, the concept of media deconvergence has emerged to account for 

fragmentation within convergent environments. Deconvergence refers to the selective or independent use of 

certain media platforms or content by users, despite technological convergence. Users may still prefer traditional 

television for specific content while relying on digital platforms for others, a phenomenon that suggests that 

convergence and deconvergence coexist and interact (Jin, 2013; Lugmayr & Dal Zotto, 2016). Piel and Sparviero 

(2017) describe this interplay as overlooked but crucial in understanding modern media use patterns. 

In Nigeria, and particularly among youths, media access is expanding due to increased internet penetration and 

smartphone usage. However, local research has largely focused on usage patterns of individual media forms, such 

as television or the internet, without examining how these platforms are used together or separately in daily life. 

There remains a research gap on how Nigerian youths navigate converged environments and whether they engage 

in convergence (integrating use across platforms) or deconvergence (separating usage for specific purposes). This 

study responds to that gap by examining how youths in Anambra State use television and new media. It 

investigates the extent to which these media are integrated or used distinctly, exploring user preferences, 

behaviours, and influencing factors within a framework of convergence and deconvergence. 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 

Studies on media use patterns in Nigeria have focused mostly on use patterns of standalone media or single media 

platforms and generally on single media uses. The media use patterns of media consumers in convergent media 

environments seem to have been underexplored in Nigeria just like in other African climes.  Stated differently, 

there is a paucity of Nigerian studies that have attempted to find out what have converged or deconverged 

(regarding media uses) in media environments marked by the coming together of media formats, as well as the 

place of traditional media such as television in such environments.  

1.3 Purpose/ Objectives of the Study 

The purpose of this study is to determine television and new media use patterns among youths in Anambra State, 

in addition to influencing factors. 

In precise terms, the study aimed at the following: 

1. To find out the patterns of new media use among youths in Anambra State; 

2. To explore the patterns of television use among youths in Anambra State; 

3. To determine factors that influence patterns of media use among youths in Anambra State. 



 

 

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1.4 Research Questions 

In order to achieve the above research objectives, the following research questions guided the inquiry: 

1. What are the patterns new media uses among youths in Anambra State? 

2. What are patterns of television uses among youths in Anambra State? 

3. What are the factors that influence patterns of media use among youths in Anambra State? 

Literature Review 

Media Convergence 

The concept of media convergence emerged as a response to the evolution of digital technologies and their 

capacity to integrate formerly distinct media forms. Ithiel de Sola Pool (1983) was one of the earliest scholars to 

conceptualise this phenomenon, describing it as a “convergence of modes” where communication tools like 

telephone, radio, and television were no longer distinct but increasingly intertwined. Jenkins (2006) expanded 

this idea by arguing that convergence is not merely a technological shift but a cultural and participatory process 

involving content, platforms, industries, and audiences. Meikle and Young (2011) similarly describe convergence 

as a networked integration of digital media into everyday life, where technological, industrial, and user-driven 

changes converge. 

In practical terms, convergence has allowed devices like smartphones and smart TVs to serve multiple media 

functions, ranging from streaming to gaming to online communication. This integration is rooted in digitisation, 

which has standardised content formats, enabling them to flow seamlessly across platforms (Miller, 2011). Yet, 

convergence is not always linear. Scholars such as Storsul and Stuedahl (2007) argue that convergence is a 

process marked by contradictory developments, including resistance, fragmentation, and adaptation. 

Media Deconvergence 

While convergence describes integration, deconvergence accounts for fragmentation in user behaviour and 

platform differentiation. Jin (2013) introduced the term to describe a counter-trend in which previously merged 

media or companies separate or become specialised again. Applied more broadly, deconvergence highlights how 

users may choose distinct platforms for specific functions, such as using television for entertainment and mobile 

apps for social interaction. Piel and Sparviero (2017) stress that deconvergence is not the opposite of convergence 

but a coexisting process that reflects increasing complexity in media consumption. They describe three 

dimensions of this tension: proliferation of media devices, transmedia content flow, and the management of 

digital infrastructures, all of which contribute to both integration and disintegration in media use. 

Media Use Patterns Among Youths 

Youth media use has evolved in response to the dual dynamics of convergence and deconvergence. Empirical 

studies have documented the creation of personal “media repertoires,” where users combine multiple platforms 

to meet their communication, entertainment, and information needs (Hasebrink & Domeyer, 2012). Schuurman 

et al. (2015), in a study of Flemish youths, identified diverse user profiles shaped by age, gender, and interest, 

indicating that media use is neither uniform nor monolithic. Similarly, Kim (2014) found that media use among 



 

 

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youths often reflects personal preferences, situational contexts, and varying degrees of political or informational 

engagement. 

In Nigeria, research into youth media habits has focused largely on individual platforms rather than converged 

patterns. Ibrahim et al. (2018) explored youth media preferences but did not investigate how users navigate 

convergent or deconvergent environments. Eke and Ukozor (2020) took a step forward by examining cross-media 

patterns in Lagos, but similar research in other states, particularly Anambra, remains sparse. 

Convergence and Deconvergence in the Nigerian Context 

In the Nigerian media landscape, the co-existence of television and new media presents a fertile ground for 

studying convergence and deconvergence. While internet penetration and smartphone usage have increased 

dramatically (NCC, 2020), television remains a widely used medium, especially for communal and passive 

consumption. Youths may prefer new media for personalised, on-demand content but still rely on television for 

news, family bonding, or scheduled programmes. This dual usage reflects convergent access but potentially 

deconvergent functions. 

Despite these developments, literature from Nigeria rarely explores how media users navigate converged 

environments or make deconvergent choices. Most studies have treated media as standalone platforms, ignoring 

the hybrid patterns of media engagement that increasingly define youth behaviour. Thus, this study seeks to 

address this gap by comparing the preferences and usage patterns of television and new media among youths in 

Anambra State, focusing on both convergent and deconvergent dynamics. 

2.2 Theoretical Framework 

This study is anchored on the Convergence Culture Theory developed by Henry Jenkins (2006). The theory 

provides a conceptual foundation for understanding how media technologies, content, industries, and audiences 

intersect in a digital environment. Jenkins defines convergence as not just the merging of technological platforms 

but also the cultural shift where consumers actively participate in content production, distribution, and circulation 

across multiple media systems. 

According to the theory, convergence is both a top-down and bottom-up process. Media companies seek to exploit 

the economic advantages of integrated content delivery, while users engage in participatory practices by selecting, 

remixing, and navigating content across platforms. For instance, a user may watch a television programme and 

continue the engagement via social media or a mobile app, demonstrating how content flows across channels in 

a converged media environment. 

However, convergence culture theory also recognises that convergence does not eliminate the distinct roles of 

media platforms. Instead, it highlights a user-driven logic where audiences choose specific media for particular 

purposes. This interpretive flexibility aligns with the emerging notion of deconvergence, where users fragment 

their media habits based on content type, accessibility, or social context. 

Applying this framework to the study, the theory helps explain how Nigerian youths may simultaneously embrace 

both television and new media without necessarily abandoning one for the other. It provides a lens for examining 

how users participate in a media environment where convergence enables access, but user preference drives 



 

 

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differentiation. The theory is thus appropriate for analysing the dynamics of media preference, dual-platform 

usage, and the broader cultural implications of media choice among youths in Anambra State. 

2.3 Empirical Review 

Schuurman, De Marez, Baccarne, & Ballon, (2015). conducted a comprehensive study on new media usage 

among Flemish youths using latent class analysis. Their research identified four distinct user profiles: the 

entertainment-oriented, the communication-driven, the information-seekers, and the low-engagement users. This 

segmentation revealed that youth media behaviour is not homogenous but varies significantly based on interest, 

motivation, and demographic characteristics such as education and gender. This study challenges the notion of 

uniform youth adoption of digital media and reinforces the need for audience-specific media strategies. It also 

supports the idea that convergence does not lead to identical usage patterns but rather fosters diversified media 

engagement. 

Kim (2014) examined how personal media repertoires differ across age, education, and media type in a cross-

sectional study. The research showed that older individuals leaned more heavily toward traditional media like 

television and newspapers, whereas younger, more educated respondents demonstrated a preference for digital 

platforms. The study provided empirical evidence that media usage is shaped by demographic variables and 

individual contexts, suggesting that convergence is subject to selective appropriation. This aligns with the concept 

of deconvergence, where different media platforms serve specific roles in a user's daily life. 

Hasebrink and Domeyer (2012) explored the concept of media repertoires using qualitative methods such as diary 

writing and card sorting. Their study found that young Germans developed personalised media habits that 

combined both traditional and digital media in dynamic and context-dependent ways. For example, participants 

consumed news across both television and online platforms, but chose particular channels depending on 

convenience, urgency, or type of content. This evidence underscores that while technological convergence offers 

integrated access, audience behaviour often reflects deliberate deconvergent usage patterns based on need, 

setting, or social environment. 

Eke and Ukozor (2020) studied cross-media consumption among youths in Lagos and found that although access 

to both television and mobile devices was widespread, users demonstrated platform-specific preferences. 

Television was largely favoured for live broadcasts, local news, and family viewing, whereas mobile devices and 

social media were preferred for entertainment, personal interaction, and on-demand information. The study 

highlighted that new media do not necessarily replace traditional platforms but instead coexist, with users 

switching between them based on content relevance and immediacy. These findings support the coexistence of 

convergence (access across platforms) and deconvergence (functional separation in use). 

Krogager, Povlsen, and Degn (2015) investigated media use patterns among Danish adolescents, focusing on how 

media preferences are influenced by gender, social habits, and context. The research showed that while both boys 

and girls engaged in digital media, their usage patterns differed boys leaned toward gaming and video streaming, 

while girls preferred social media and interpersonal communication. Despite the availability of converged 

devices, television retained a specific role, often used during communal family time or for structured 



 

 

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programming. This supports the notion that user agency and cultural practices shape media choices, resulting in 

differentiated, deconvergent patterns of media consumption. 

Hasebrink, Schulz, and Livingstone (2015) conducted a comparative study on media use across Europe. They 

found that although digital devices and platforms had become dominant, traditional media especially television 

retained cultural and generational significance. Their findings suggested that while convergence facilitates access 

to a wide array of content across devices, audience preferences are shaped by institutional, national, and 

individual contexts. Media deconvergence, as seen in their study, occurred when users allocated different roles 

to various platforms for example, using television for structured news consumption and mobile devices for casual 

or interactive content. 

Methodology 

3.1 Research design 

This study adopted a qualitative research method which Creswell (2014) describes as appropriate for exploring 

and making sense of the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. It was guided by a 

constructionist worldview which suggests that individuals are able to make varied, as well as multiple meanings 

of their lived experiences (their preferences and use patterns of television and new media as in the present study), 

making the researcher seek to explore all their personal views rather than constructing restrictive categories (as 

would have been in a quantitative research method). As Creswell (2014) notes, the goal of any research guided 

by constructionist worldview is to rely mostly on the views of participants. For this reason, the research questions 

were broad to allow the participants make their own meaning.  

The researcher’s choice of qualitative research approach instead of the quantitative was informed by her aim to 

explore the participants’ media use in-depth. The researcher understands that their views on their media use 

patterns can be varied and multiple and may, therefore, not be completed explored with the predetermined 

measurement categories synonymous with quantitative research methods such as survey.  

3.2 Population 

The population for this study was the total number of men and women in Anambra State. According to data from 

the National Population Commission this is 4, 177, 828 (NPC, 2016). 

3.3 Sampling Technique 

The study participants were selected purposively. They were six (6) male and six (6) females aged 18-30 who are 

resident in Awka, Anambra State capital. The participants were selected using the snowball technique, where one 

contact generated further contact. The participants all admitted to owning and or having access to smart 

televisions sets and new media devices such as smartphones and tablets which enables them to connect to the 

Internet. Also, all the discussants were made up of both University undergraduates and graduates.  

3.4 Data Collection  

The study adopted focus groups for data collection. The choice of Focus Group Discussion was informed by the 

knowledge that it allows respondents to express opinions and ideas that would yield relevant discussions and 

analytical expositions which may not be possible using other methods. The researcher chose Focus Group because 



 

 

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of the success recorded in previous studies of similar nature as well as scholarly postulations. Such scholars as 

Lunt & Livingstone, (1996) observed that focus groups are a valuable way to explore socially constructed 

meanings and interpretations because working with a small group provides opportunities for feedback and 

discussion empowering an audience. Similarly, Berry and Shelton (1999) maintain that Focus groups are an 

excellent way to investigate interpretation because they allow for a diversity of individual responses. Wimmer 

and Dominick (2003) added that Focus Groups are advantageous since individuals feel less inhibited than in 

individual interviews, and that makes the results more complete. According to the scholars, in focus groups, “one 

respondent’s remarks tend to stimulate others to pursue lines of thinking that might not have been elicited in a 

situation involving just one individual” (p. 125).  

Two focus groups (one male and one female) consisting of six (6) discussants each were held in Awka, Anambra 

State capital. The discussions were guided by a focus group discussion guide and recorded with an audio midget 

and later transcribed into written text. The data were then analyzed thematically. 

3.5 Framework for Data Analysis 

A 6-step approach to qualitative data analysis and interpretation highlighted by Creswell (2014) was adopted in 

this study: 

1. Data transcription. 

2. Reading of data for the understanding of the general ideas and tones of the participants. 

3. Data coding which involves organizing or compressing the data into an easily 

understandable manner. At this stage, Tesch’s eight-step coding process highlighted in Creswell (2014) was 

considered. This involved: 

Reading all manuscripts carefully. 

Picking and going through one particular document to find what it is all about. 

Making a cluster of similar topics. 

Abbreviating the topics as codes and writing the codes next to the appropriate segments of the text. 

Finding the most descriptive words for the topics and turning them to categories. 

Making a final decision on the abbreviations made for each category. 

Assembling the data belonging to each category 

Recoding existing data if necessary. 

4. Generating themes for analysis. 

5. Representing themes by using narrative passages to present the findings. 

6. Interpretation of data. 

Results and Discussion 

This chapter is for presentation, analysis and interpretation of results gathered from the focus groups. The data 

generated were analysed under three dominant themes observed to run through the responses of the respondents 

– Linear television uses; multiple new media uses; and determinants of media use patterns. 

4.1 Linear television uses 



 

 

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The participants admitted that they had linear uses of the traditional television. This is to say that their use of the 

traditional television mostly swung toward a particular content.  Some excerpts from the responses of the 

discussants are instructive: 

I prefer to use the television for news. It is where I can get credible news, especially on CNN (Discussant 2, Male, 

25, FG 1) 

I watch television for Channels TV news at 10 to get information about the latest happenings in Nigeria… 

(Discussant 5, Male, 28, FG 1) 

For me, I watch television mostly for sports entertainment, especially football… Anytime you see me watching 

television, it is football I am watching… (Discussant 3, Male, 21, FG 1) 

…Premier league and Champions league football are the main things I watch on television, and I prefer watching 

in a television viewing centre. Even if I have data on my phone to watch online, it does not just feel as good as 

watching in a viewing centre where I can banter and discuss with other football lovers… (Discussant 6, Male, 22, 

FG 1) 

I watch television for Zee World and Telemundo. These are the only things I watch on television. I like to watch 

La Casa de los Famosos with my sisters. If I want any other thing, I go online or social media… (Discussant 5, 

Female, 28, FG 2) 

I like to watch ROK and Africa Magic Urban on television. They air current Nollywood movies in the evening 

which I like to watch as a way of relaxing after a hard day (Discussant 1, Female, 28, FG 2) 

I seldom watch TV these days. Television viewing has now become a family thing. I only watch those 

programmes we like to watch as a family. After that, everybody goes back to his or her phone and other electronic 

devices… (Discussant 6, Female, 28, FG 2) 

Regarding frequency of use of television, the discussants agreed that they watched television at the particular 

airing time of the programme they needed to tune in to: 

Do I say I watch television regularly? I watch television for Channels news at 10. Apart from that, I am not really 

a regular television user (Discussant 5, Male, 28, FG 1) 

The foregoing suggests that the discussants do not have multiple uses of the television but choose to use it for 

specific purposes even in today’s world where a plethora of television channels, as made available by cable TV, 

can make random channel surfing and viewership characteristics of TV viewing. The discussants are therefore 

not avid television users, considering that they expose themselves to the television at particular times, for 

particular programmes.  

4.2 Multiple new media uses 

Results from the focus group discussions showed that the discussants admitted having multiple uses of the new 

media. Some of the uses ranged from watching video stored on the computer’s hard drive, emailing, uploading 

and downloading files, searching the internet, streaming videos to accessing news and sports websites. Similarly 

for smartphones, tasks like talking, text messaging, accessing the internet, viewing videos and listening to audio 

were reported separately.  



 

 

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Findings on the discussants’ new media preferences and use patterns showed that they formed robust new media 

repertoires (a combination of different new media and routines of use for a particular purpose). The new media 

repertoires include ‘computing for work’; ‘mobile Messaging’; ‘entertainment online’; and ‘information online’. 

Regarding ‘computing for work’ as a new media repertoire, emailing was the most dominant use, followed by 

the use of work-related software (e.g., MS Office and Adobe photoshop) the second largest. Internet use in this 

repertoire was found to be for information search rather than entertainment. Excerpts from some of the discussants 

who used the new media for work purposes are presented thus: 

I have several uses of the new media or the Internet. I use the new media to do my work and I also use it for 

entertainment purposes. Regarding work, I use software like Adobe photoshop and so on (Discussant 6, Female, 

28, FG 2). 

I use different new media platforms for different purposes. For work, I use emailing platforms, Google drive and 

so on… I also use ebooks for information I need at work (Discussant 1, Female, 28, FG 2) 

I use many new media devices. For work, I use my smartphone because I find it easier to type with my phone 

using Microsoft Office. I also find it easier accessing the Internet with my phone (Discussant 5, Male, 28, FG 1). 

In the second new media repertoire, ‘mobile messaging’, the discussants combined a variety of new media 

platforms, especially social media, for exchange of text, images, and videos.  

Apart from work, I combine different social media platforms for chatting. I use Facebook, Telegram, and 

Whatsapp. I use Whatsapp mostly for my business because it allows me to display what I sell (Discussant 6, 

Female, 28, FG 2). 

Regarding the ‘information online’ repertoire, the discussants combined a plethora of new media platforms for 

their information needs. The discussants presented their views thus: 

For online news, I go to different online versions of newspapers such as punch and vanguard, especially when I 

am at work… But whenever, I am at home, I watch Channels on television… (Discussant 5, Male, 28, FG 1) 

I get my information on Facebook. I also get my information on some blogs and then on Twitter… These are the 

platforms where I get entertainment news… (Discussant 2, Female, 25, FG 2) 

Regarding the ‘entertainment online’ repertoire, results showed that the discussants, especially the females, 

combined various online platforms to enhance their entertainment experiences. Finding also showed that web 

search was as dominant in searching for information as it was for searching for entertainment.  

Everything. The Internet avails me everything I need, from entertainment to messaging and so on. For my 

entertainment, I subscribe to Netflix and Iroko TV. With Netflix, I can watch Hollywood seasonal movies, and 

with Iroko TV, I can watch the latest Nollywood movies. I connect with my smartphone… (Discussant 5, Female, 

28, FG 2)  

The foregoing shows that the discussants had multiple uses of the new media, unlike on the television where they 

narrowed down to specific uses.  For this reason, the use of new media can be said to negatively correlate with 

‘television viewing’.  Stated differently, spending a lot of time of new media, especially for affordances the 

television could also offer (entertainment, information, and education) meant the foregoing of television viewing.  



 

 

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4.3 Determinants of media use patterns 

Various determinants of media use patterns are observable. The reason for limited use of the television was lack 

of time because of being fully occupied with work for university and several jobs, therefore, they relied on new 

media devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets.  

An interesting observation with regard to the respondents’ television viewing, as findings from the study show, 

is that some participants mentioned specific social contexts as one component of their media repertoire, e.g. media 

use television with others, for instance, the discussants who noted: 

…I like to watch La Casa de los Famosos with my sisters. If I want any other thing, I go online or social media… 

(Discussant 5, Female, 28, FG 2) 

…Premier league and Champions league football are the main things I watch on television, and I prefer watching 

in a television viewing centre. Even if I have data on my phone to watch online, it does not just feel as good as 

watching in a viewing centre where I can banter and discuss with other football lovers… (Discussant 6, Male, 22, 

FG 1) 

The foregoing indicates that television viewing is not directly related to the television as a medium, but to a 

specific social function which includes bonding with family and interacting in social groups. Here, the television 

does only serve as a tool for content dissemination but as medium for socialization or social bonding, much like 

the ‘social media’ albeit fostering physical/interpersonal human contact instead of communication over the 

Internet. 

Findings from the study also showed that age, income, and education levels, play significant roles in predicting 

the discussants’ media use patterns. The discussants who are graduates tended to use the new media for work-

related activities, compared to the undergraduates. This, as they noted, seems natural as most offices have new 

media devices that are connected to the internet. In addition, findings from the study showed that the older 

discussants (from aged 28-30 year) are more likely to watch television than the younger discussants (18-27 years). 

Additionally, findings showed that income, especially on the side of the undergraduates, determined use pattern 

of television. Some of them noted that due to limited income, they were unable to subscribe for cable television 

regularly, but instead preferred to subscribe for Internet data to use their new media devices.   

4.4 Discussion of Findings 

Findings from this study buttresses findings (Taneja, Webster, Malthouse & Ksiazek, 2012; Kim, 2014; Kõuts-

Klemm & Brites, 2017) that stress the fact that individual patterns of media use include a composition of different 

media and that the way and how the components of these repertoires are interrelated is a key to understanding 

audience media use. This, according to the researcher, suggests that people’s choice of media repertoires is a 

complicated process in which people’s orientation toward medium and preference for content types work together 

during media selection process.  

Regarding preferences, as the findings from the study conducted by Kim (2014) also shows, audiences in the 

present study appear to have a preceding orientation toward medium over content preferences when it comes to 

the new media and the Internet specifically. In other words, the audience first choose to go online and then search 



 

 

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ISSN:   2994 - 0540   

Impact Factor: 7.94   

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for content that satisfies their needs. Contrastingly, however, regarding television use, audience have a preceding 

orientation toward content, in the sense that they resort to the television for specific content which they feel is 

better assessed on television than Internet-enabled devices such smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Some of the 

reasons include perception that television can provide credible news and to the socialization need of bounding 

with family members and interacting with like-minds during television viewing.  

Findings from this study shows what can be described as negative correlation between the time spent on using 

the television and new media platforms much like findings from the study conducted by Hasebrink et al (2015).  

One new media is used at the expense of the television, and the respondents did not seem to be able to combine 

heavy use of both. Stated differently, the television is typically consumed as background media or second choice 

media. The discussants limited use of the television is a matter of choice, and perhaps a cultural perception of the 

television and not that the television necessarily offers less. Elsewhere in the United States, findings from a study 

conducted by Taneja, Webster, Malthouse and Ksiazek (2012) showed that audience made multiple use of the 

television, including connecting to the Internet; watching of news, entertainment, or sports, and where also 

characterized by regular, random channel surfing. A plausible explanation, as the research noted, could be that 

those who work tend to use computers and mobile phones more, because of their jobs and commutes, while those 

who do not work stay more at home and consume more traditional media. At first sight, this finding, as the 

researchers assert, might be read in line with public concerns about the impact of online media on traditional 

media such as the television– the more people use the Internet, the less they will watch television.  

However, it can be asserted that the television in its traditional or typical form as a device which is stationed in a 

particular corner of the house, still maintains it place as a ‘legacy’ media. In contrast with findings other studies 

(Hasebrink et al., 2015; Global Wed Index, 2017), findings from the present study showed that the audience do 

not watch television with other device order than the traditional television. This is to say that even when the 

television as a media and as an affordance has converged into the new media and can be accessed with devices 

such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, the audience still choose to watch the traditional television when they 

have the need to do so. 

Findings from the study also showed that age, income, and education levels, play significant roles in predicting 

the discussants’ media use patterns. The discussants who are graduates tended to use the new media for work-

related activities, compared to the undergraduates. This, as they noted, seems natural as most offices have new 

media devices that are connected to the internet. In addition, findings from the study showed that the older 

discussants (from aged 28-30 year) are more likely to watch television than the younger discussants (18-27 years). 

Additionally, findings showed that income, especially on the side of the undergraduates, determined use pattern 

of television. Some of them noted that due to limited income, they were unable to subscribe for cable television 

regularly, but instead preferred to subscribe for Internet data to use their new media devices.  These results 

corroborate findings from the study conducted by Kim (2014) which showed a correlation between media use 

pattern, age, as well as education. 

5.1 Summary 



 

 

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ISSN:   2994 - 0540   

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This study was embarked upon to explore television and new media use patterns among youths in Anambra State, 

in addition to influencing factors. The study adopted a qualitative research method involving two (2) focus groups 

of six (6) participants each. The study participants who were selected purposively were resident in Awka, 

Anambra State capital, and were aged between 18-30 years. 

The participants admitted that they had linear uses of the traditional television. This is to say that their use of the 

traditional television mostly swung toward a particular content.  Conversely, however, findings on the 

discussants’ new media preferences and use patterns showed that they formed robust new media repertoires (a 

combination of different new media and routines of use for certain purposes). The new media repertoires include 

‘computing for work’; ‘mobile Messaging’; ‘entertainment online’; and ‘information online’.  

Findings from this study shows what can be described as negative correlation between the time spent on using 

the television and new media platforms.  One new media is used at the expense of the television, and the 

respondents did not seem to be able to combine heavy use of both. Stated differently, the television is typically 

consumed as background media or second choice media.  

Also, findings showed that age, income, and education levels, play significant roles in predicting the discussants’ 

media use patterns. The discussants who are graduates tended to use the new media for work-related activities, 

compared to the undergraduates. Additionally, findings showed that income, especially on the side of the 

undergraduates, determined use pattern of television. Some of them noted that due to limited income, they were 

unable to subscribe for cable television regularly, but instead preferred to subscribe for Internet data to use their 

new media devices.  These results corroborate findings from the study conducted by Kim (2014) which showed 

a correlation between media use pattern, age, as well as education. 

5.2 Conclusion 

The convergence and deconvergence of media and their uses is observable in the audience media use patterns. 

While their use patterns of the media which shows them forming complex media repertoires points to a 

convergence, their use of television of as a standalone device indicates a deconvergence in which the television 

serves as a tool for socialization.  

The major assumptions of the audience perception theory are that the audience are active users of the media and 

that audience member discerns which medium will best gratify his or her needs for a given use. This theory is 

found relevant to this study which has provided evidence that the audience select certain media to meet certain 

needs, for instance, online news platforms for information needs. Validating the Uses and Gratifications Theory 

further, findings from this study show that the audience uses of media have become more complex as they have 

gone beyond merely using a media to forming media use repertoires where several media (both new and 

traditional) are combined to meet certain needs). The audience have also become so active that in an increasingly 

digitalized media environment, they have singled out the television as a tool for offline socialization, to ensure 

that their interpersonal/human-to-human relationships are sustained. 

A general conclusion of this study is that media use patterns cannot be understood just on the basis of the 

frequency and duration of use, as well as the content searched for. Other indicators such as the embeddedness 



 

 

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into everyday routines or individual preferences for and attitudes towards certain kinds of media content are also 

highly important factors, sometimes even more important than the behavioural indicators.  

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