Wolfgang Seufert, and Maria Ehrenberg (2007). Microeconomic Consumption Theory and Individual Media Use: Empirical Evidence from Germany, Journal of Media Business Studies 4(3):21-39.
Key Words: audiences, audience research, time use, consumption theory
This study applies microeconomic consumption theory to media use in order to explain individual time allocation decisions in order to separate long-term and short-term influences. Using data from German media audience research, the study finds a strong influence of the short-term influence of time availability on the duration of total and individual electronic media use, primarily within leisure time and semi-disposable time. The same results were not found for print media, leading the authors to speculate that differences may be indicative of different substitution effects between electronic and print media.