Chapter 5. Recent Developments in Mass Media : Digitization and Multitasking

Technology and consumer behavior are changing supply and demand for mass media. Digitization has increased consumer control over media content and advertising, with implications for advertising avoidance, advertising targeting and personalization, competition among media platforms, and media market outcomes. In addition, consumers increasingly use a “second screen” to multitask during media programs, enabling immediate online response to program and advertising content, but also offering new opportunities to divert attention. This chapter presents recent data showing that video has remained the dominant mass medium and establishing the prevalence of digitization and multitasking behavior. It then selectively reviews academic research on the antecedents and consequences of the changing picture of mass media consumption, with a particular focus on the past 5–10 years.