Consuming Television Series. The Digital Transformation of Youth Audiences

Ferreira, C., Ganito, C., Burnay, C. (2012). Consuming Television Series. The Digital Transformation of Youth Audiences. International Communication Association conference 2012 Phoenix.

consuming_televion_series_ica2012.pdf

Abstract: Digital technologies are transforming audiences and media practices. With the arise of Web 2.0 and its social platforms the way internet users communicate, search for information and express themselves is changing. The new media practices resulting from the possibilities offered by the technological development are characterized by participation, creativity and sharing. The opportunity of having an active participatory role is being taken mainly by younger internet users, who due to their technological skills are labeled as digital natives, the net generation, or the millenials. Young people are part of a participatory culture where they develop their identities as media creators through the interaction with peers and audience that may be anywhere in the world. Through the combination of two important leisure activities for young people in Portugal – television series watching and internet using, we may be witnessing the emergence of a new type of participatory culture, a serialized one. Based in a mixed methodology, composed of the analysis of data collected through quantitative online survey (Ganito et al., forthcoming) and a qualitative focus group approach, this paper will then offer a case study of Portuguese College students’ serialized participatory culture regarding television series.