For this Chaser, convergence isn't just about using various traditional media to convey news and information. It is also about how different media get used by consumers. Today's scary news involves a new study from
Knowledge Networks/SRI as part of the company's MultiMedia Mentor research. Knowledge Networks looked at the media consumption habits of males, age 12-34. Here's what they found, as
reported by MediaPost's Joe Mandese:
Video Games have emerged as the fourth most dominant medium, displacing print media and vying with other major electronic media in the lives of both young adult and teenage males, according to findings of a unique multimedia usage study scheduled to be released today. The findings, which indicate that men 18-34 devote 6 percent and teenage males devote 15 percent of the time they spend with media each day to playing video games, may help explain the corresponding drop in TV viewing that has manifested among young males this year.
Although the story went on to add some caveats, we still think games will play an increasingly important role in the presentation of information:
While the study doesn’t monitor actual media usage behavior, it shows that young males at least perceive video games are playing a more significant role in their media lives than many had previously believed. Importantly, the study measured only the amount of time consumers spend with video game console systems, not time spent with other forms of video games, including those played on personal computers and the Internet, or hand-held, wireless and cell phone-based gaming systems, which are also emerging as significant factors.
