How Does Age Affect Media Usage?Hypothesis, Survey, and Data Analysis-EDTC 5103

Topics & Hypotheses

Topic: Cell Phones Hypothesis: Younger people use cell phones for

more things than older people (i.e. to access the Internet, listen to music, keep track of appointments, etc.)

Topic: Social Networking Hypothesis: Older people use social networking

websites for different purposes than younger people.

Survey

I asked five questions for each topic (ten questions total).

I used a Likert scale with these choices: 1-strongly agree 2-agree 3-neutral 4-disagree 5-strongly disagree

Demographics included: Birth year Gender Birth place

Cell Phone Questions

I use my cell phone to access the Internet.

I text people more often than I call them.

I use my phone to watch videos, such as those found on YouTube.

I listen to music with my phone.

I use a calendar or reminder function on my phone to keep track of assignments or appointments.

Social Networking Questions

I visit a social networking site between once and three times a day. (Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, MySpace, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc.)

I use social networking sites to connect with people.

I post updates on social networking sites at least once a day.

I use social networking sites to follow celebrities or well-known organizations.

Social networking sites are a major part of my life.

Location & Respondents

The survey was distributed at Oakwood Bowl in Enid, OK. (I know many people there, and I knew I would find a wide age range.)

Thirty participants (I was only able to use 29 surveys because one person put 2013 as her birth year.)

Ages ranged from 11-76.

Fifteen females and 14 males

All respondents were from the U.S.

Data Analysis: Cell Phones

Respondents in their teens, twenties, and thirties access the Internet more often than older respondents.

Those in their teens and twenties text more often than call people.

All but 4 respondents do not usually watch videos on their phones.

Teens listen to music with their phones more than any other age group.

Respondents across generations reported that they use a calendar function on their phones.

Social Networking Data Analysis

Most respondents in their teens and twenties, along with a few older ones, visit social networks at least one-three times a day.

About half of the respondents use social networks to connect with people.

Very few respondents post updates on a social network at least once a day.

Very few respondents use social networks to follow celebrities or well-known organizations.

Only three respondents (a 15-year old, a 23-year old, and a 61-year old) said that social networks are a major part of their lives.

Reading the Graphs

Each graph reads from oldest to youngest.

The questions are color coded.

The lower points on the graph are the strongly agree-agree responses because 1=strongly agree and 5=strongly disagree.

There are individual graphs for age groups as well as one overall graph for each topic.

There is one overall graph showing the results from the entire survey.

Column Graph Ages 61-76: Cell Phones

Column Graph Ages 47-57: Cell Phones

Column Graph Ages 11-17:Cell Phones

Column Graph Ages 20-34: Cell Phones

Line Graph Including All Responses: Cell Phones

Column Graph Ages 61-76: Social Networks Column Graph Ages 47-57: Social Networks

Column Graph Ages 11-17:Social Networks

Column Graph Ages 20-34: Social Networks

Line Graph Including All Responses: Social Networks

Line Graph Including All Responses From Both Topics

Conclusion

My hypothesis about younger people using cell phones for more activities was reflected in the survey data.

However, the responses I received about social networks did not align with my predictions. Many older people use social networks for the same

things younger people do. Younger people do not use social networks as much

or as often as I anticipated.