Abundance

Chapter 1 situates the contemporary focus of this book in historical perspective by summarizing the main findings from studies of previous eras that had a massive surge in the amount of information available. Moreover, it critically examines the key contributions from social and behavioral science scholarship on information overload. In addition, it further articulates the conceptual framework that is initially introduced in the preface and that constitutes the analytical apparatus of the book. It also describes the research design adopted to gather the data necessary to answer the questions posed in the preface. Finally, it provides an outline of the book.

Scarcity

Chapter 6 takes stock of the main empirical findings detailed in chapters 2 through 5; reflects on their key implications for media, culture, and society; examines how the distinct analytical and methodological apparatus of this book generates knowledge gains that go beyond the analysis of information abundance; and highlights the need for rebalancing the dynamics of institutional power and individual agency in accounts of the social consequences of digital technologies, and for dealing with the lack of certainty about the structural and cultural basis of contemporary society. To bring the account full circle, the chapter closes with a serendipitous encounter that marks the final destination of this journey, in an Argentine landmark located some twenty blocks away from where the book began.

Entertainment

Chapter 5 focuses on the reception of entertainment. The survey reveals that the top three entertainment activities among the respondents are watching television, listening to music, and being on social media, in that order, and that age is the preeminent organizer of entertainment consumption. The interviews show the continued relevance of routines in reception practices, and highlight the versatility of watching television. This versatility applies to how people access the content; the devices through which they watch it; with whom they do this; and the habits associated with this experience. This versatility contrasts with the perceived rigidity of going to the movies, watching a play, and visiting a museum. The affect related to consuming audiovisual entertainment within the household is overwhelmingly positive, and there is a high level of attachment to serialized content on streaming platforms. The analysis shows an experiential appreciation of audiovisual entertainment content on television.

Screens

Chapter 2 focuses on the experience of using three types of personal screens: mobile phones, personal computers, and television sets. The survey shows that age trumps socioeconomic status and gender as the main structural factor in who accesses which devices and how frequently they are used. The interviews reveal the centrality of the meanings interviewees attribute to their different devices, and that orient their experiences of them. Thus, to many interviewees the mobile phone has become a prosthetic, an artificial body part with which they have a difficult time parting; the computer a tool they use primarily for work or study or both; and, the television set a companion, often turned on but in the background. The phone’s prosthetic quality is tied to the significant level of attachment people feel to the device. The chapter ends with a discussion about how the uptake of mobile phones is tied to a reconstitution of sociality.

Platforms

Chapter 3 is devoted to social media. The survey reveals the role of age over socioeconomic status and gender as the prime determinant of platform access and use. The interviews show that people attribute different meanings to different platforms and act accordingly. Participants view WhatsApp as akin to a coffee place, a communication space affording a distinct public intimacy; Facebook as a mall characterized by its massive and generalist environment—a convenient yet unappealing venue; Twitter as a newsstand, an information-centered context marked by an informal and humorous tone; Instagram as a promenade, or a venue for an idealized and aestheticized visual presentation of the self; and Snapchat as a carnival, an equally visual but more ludic alternative. The analysis shows a high level of attachment to platforms. The chapter concludes by continuing the discussion of a reconstitution of sociality in the experience of information abundance.

News

Chapter 4 centers on news reception. The survey indicates that broadcast media represent the dominant source of information and that socioeconomic status is more important in predicting patterns of news consumption than age and gender. The interviews highlight the continued centrality of routines that organize reception practices. These routines are ambient and derivative. In addition, there is a widespread assumption of intentionality in the reporting of current events and the perception that bias in the resulting stories is not the exception but the norm. There is also a strongly negative affect that is tied to the experience of consuming news. The chapter concludes that the perception and practice of ambient content, the enactment of derivative routines, the management of what is viewed as systemic bias, and dominance of negative affect combine to generate an experiential devaluation of the news in everyday life.