Media Audiences

Digital technologies are a common and effective way to deliver STEM media programming to a variety of public audiences, but the demographic composition of audiences can vary greatly from one digital technology platform to the next. In today’s diverse media landscape, STEM media producers must consider the demographic properties of audiences for the technologies and broadcast channels on which they seek to deliver their products.

Generational Differences in Digital Media Use

Age differences in internet usage: Internet usage trends vary across age groups and some differences seem to vary from one generation to the next. The Pew Internet and American Life Project, tracks American internet usage trends over time and offers current statistics on internet usage across different age-groups. Pew Reports suggest that the vast majority of American adults are online, though internet usage rates remain highest among younger adults and teens. (Pew: Internet User Demographics Latest Statistics) (Pew: Teen Internet User Demographics). Internet resources can be accessed through a variety of technologies including laptop or desktop computers, mobile phones, tablets and other handheld devices, and video gaming systems. As with overall internet usage, there are also differences in the extent to which different age-groups are accessing the internet via different technologies. (Pew: Cell Internet Use 2013).  Differences also exist among in terms of what members of different age groups are doing online:

• Social Media: Social media use seems to be highest among American adults under 50 (Pew: Social Media User Demographics)
• Videos: Information Needed
• Online Communities: Information Needed

Age differences in broadcast audiences: Average audiences ages for broadcast programming vary. Public broadcasting, which offers a great deal of STEM programming, has an aging television audience, with a majority of viewers over the age of 55.  (PBS Audience, 2009)

Additional information needed about age-related demographics for other broadcast media.

Gender Differences in Digital Media Use

Internet and Social Media: Females use social media more than males across all social media platforms except Twitter and Reddit. PEW: It’s a woman’s (social media) world. (Wikipedia: Gender Differences in Social Network Service Use). There are five times more female than male users of Pinterest (In September 2013, 25% of Pinterest users were female, whereas only 5% were male) (PEW: It’s a woman’s (social media) world). Reddit is unique in so far is it is more likely to be used by males. (PEW: 6% of Online Adults are Reddit Users 2013).

More information is needed on other areas where there are differences in media usage based on gender.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Digital Media Use

More information is needed on racial and ethnic differences in digital media usage.

Case Study: How One STEM Project’s Audiences Varied

A set of surveys of the audience members for KQED Northern California’s ‘QUEST’ science, nature and environment series showed how a multi-media STEM project can engage different audiences. Matching overall Internet usage trends, a study by Bandy, Fung & Rockman (2008) of KQED’s station members found that interest in and access of the program’s web content was fairly low, but a majority of respondents in all age groups did express interest in future use. This study found that most panelists (78%) do use the Internet to get science and nature information; however, the most common use was to look up quick facts or a piece of information.

Surveys revealed that ‘QUEST’s’ online audiences differed quite a bit from both public broadcasting’s and KQED’s television audiences, particularly in their use of new media. Most of these younger (72% under age 55) online audience members reported using a wide variety of new media technologies and engaging in Web 2.0 activities. Their attitudes toward these technologies were quite positive. (Bandy & Fung, 2009). Their digital media use characteristics placed them in Pew’s “elite user” typology see (Horrigan, 2007).

In terms of QUEST use, more than half of online users visited the show’s site at least a few times a month, and 19% visited weekly. Video pieces were rated the most popular by 72.5%, versus 33.8% for audio pieces, the next most popular content type. These online audience members preferred to search out the content they wanted to see/listen to when it was of interest or use to them, a process referred to as “pull, not push.”(Bandy & Fung, 2009).

Age differences in internet usage

• Videos
• Online Communities

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Digital Media Use

More information is needed on racial and ethnic differences in digital media usage.

Bandy, E. & Fung, M. (2009). KQED QUEST final evaluation report. San Francisco: Rockman et al. Retrieved January 27, 2012 from http://informalscience.org/evaluation/ic-000-000-003-299/KQED_QUEST_Final_Evaluation_Report

Bandy, E., Fung, M. & Rockman, S. (2008). KQED QUEST Year 2: Final panel study report. San Francisco: Rockman et al. (Available upon request: elizabeth@bandyconsulting.com)

Horrigan, John B. (April 2007). A Typology of information and communication technology users. Washington, DC: Pew Internet & American Life Project. Accessed January 27, 2011 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/A-Typology-of-Information-and-Communication-Technology-Users.aspx

PBS Audience Demographics. (2009). Janson Media Admin. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.janson.com/media/2010/12/13/pbs-audience-demographics/

Pew Internet and American Life Project. Device ownership. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Trend-Data/Device-Ownership.aspx

Pew Internet and American Life Project. Generations 2010: What different generations do online. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Infographics/2010/Generations-2010-Summary.aspx

Pew Internet and American Life Project. Generations and their gadgets. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Infographics/2011/Generations-and-gadgets.aspx

Pew Internet and American Life Project. Teen gadget ownership. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Trend-Data-for-Teens/Teen-Gadget-Ownership.aspx

Pew Internet and American Life Project. What internet users do on an average day. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Trend-Data/Online-Activities-Daily.aspx

Pew Internet and American Life Project. Who’s online: Internet user demographics. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Static-Pages/Trend-Data/Whos-Online.aspx

Rainie, L. (2012). Tablet and e-book readership nearly doubled over the holiday gift-giving period. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Accessed January 27, 2012 from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/E-readers-and-tablets.aspx

Rideout, V. J., Foehr, U. G., & Roberts, D. F. (2010). Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8- to 18-year-olds. Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved January 27, 2012 from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf