Socio-demographic Status and Media Use of Convergent Mode of TV Viewing Group

This paper aims to analyse the differences of socio-demographic status and media use between traditional TV viewing group and convergent one. Reviewing the existing literature on the change of viewing practices, this paper proposes linearity and device as two essential dimensions on which to classify the mode of viewing. Based on these two dimensions, four viewing groups are derived, that is TV-Linear, T-Shift, S-Shift, and T&S Shift. The three except TV-Linear are called new, in other words, convergent mode of viewing. For the empirical study, the raw data of 2012 survey of the User Behaviors of Broadcasting Media in Korea are used with the support of KCC and KISDI. The new and convergent viewing groups have shown differences in overall media use as well as socio-demographic status. They are much younger, and more prominent in such occupations as students and office workers. Gender is not so much a critical factor. Convergent viewing groups tend to spend more time on PC and smart-phone rather than on TV. They consider these two media as the most important one (most-missed media) for their everyday life. They are also inclined to get most of the information and contents for various activities from PC, and even from Smart-phone in case of T&S-Shift group. They also have experienced a significant decreases in the time spent on linear TV viewing. These viewing groups has experienced more of simultaneous media use while watching TV. In conclusion, the convergent modes of viewing are interpreted to proliferate not only from extended exposure to linear services, but also from invasion of the internet into the TV life through such digital devices as PC and smart-phone. This means that the new modes of viewing are expected to grow consistently with the growth of the digital native as well as the diffusion of IoT (Internet of Things).