Smart phones not replacing other Media

Ohio-first study of its kind, scientists observed that mobile media technologies such as smart phones are not taking people away from relying on traditional media sources like newspapers or television.

Instead, mobile media is filling the spaces in the daily routine of the people where other media sources are available or inconvenient to use.

This suggests the use of mobile media is taking a different route to the popularity of technologies such as television, in fact, said John Dimmick, principal author of the study and Professor of communication at Ohio State University.

"Typically what happens with new media is that compete with and displace older media to a certain extent, as did television with radio," said Dimmick.

"But at least at the beginning in the development of mobile media is not that far from old media-has its own separate niche".

Dimmick conducted the study with Gregory Hoplamazian, a graduate student at Ohio State and John Feaster of Rowan University Christian in New Jersey. Appear in the current issue of the magazine New Media and society.

Dimmick has pointed out that the data in this study was collected in 2007, when it was released the first Apple iPhone. The success of the iPhone may mean that mobile media has begun to make inroads in the use of multimedia technologies, said other Dimmick, but did not know for sure until further studies are completed.

This study involved 166 participants who have decided to keep a diary of space-time of their media use during one day. During the day they are assigned, they recorded where and when accessing a variety of multimedia technologies, including mobile media technologies such as smart phones, as well as television, newspapers, desktop and laptop computers, radio and others.

Participants recorded whenever they news, weather, sports or content on any technology in any place and time.

All participants who were age 19-68, were selected from a survey by researchers. Scientists specifically exclude full-time students to ensure that all participants a daily routine, said Dimmick. This was necessary so scientists could learn how mobile media used to access news from people with time and space constraints, such as full-time jobs.

Using data from journals, scientists analyze when and where participants were more likely to use different technologies to access news content.

Participants have recorded a total of 1,843 multimedia sessions-a period of time, when they used a unique means of accessing news, sports and weather content.

Mobile media In general, was still a relatively minor player in the way people access news-it accounted for only about 7 percent of all media sessions, Dimmick, said.

Computers were the most popular method for accessing news, with about 24 percent of all media sessions which occur about 15 percent that occur on laptops and desktops. Television accounted for about 29 percent of all media sessions. Newspapers and radio accounted for approximately 9 percent of sessions.

But every form of technology had its own niche where was particularly popular, the results showed.

For example, mobile media technologies were clearly the preferred method of accessing news during the workday when the people were on the move.

But television remained King for news access at home during the evening and night. The niche clearer for the newspapers seemed to be at home during the morning. Computers, desktop PC and laptop, were most often used to access news on the job. Participants most often used radio in their cars during the morning and evening commute.

"Pre-existing media including newspapers, radio and television are still popular at the times and places where they have always been popular," said Dimmick.

"Mobile media is filling the spaces and times where people are on the move, away from their offices and homes, such as when I'm in line at the supermarket or eat lunch at a restaurant."