60 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 61 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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. 62 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 63 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 64 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 65 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 66 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 67 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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. 68 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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. 69 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 70 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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 71 | A m e r i c a n J o u r n a l o f A r t s a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n | https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC American Journal of Arts and Communication Vol.10, Issue 4 ; July - August 2025 ; ISSN: 2994 - 0540 Impact Factor: 7.94 1252 Columbia Rd NW, Washington DC, United States https://topjournals.org/index.php/AJAC; mail : topacademicjournals@gmail.com 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. 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