Temporality of contemporary media usage practices: Types of pauses

Abstract

Time-shifting technologies have considerable implications for the media's role as a rhythm-maker. Mobile devices enable people to fulfil, as well as take, pauses – the numerous moments or periods each day they use to look for news, chat, validate the data and post their own messages or images. The aim of the present study is to conceptualize pauses for media usage via empirical qualitative analysis of media-usage diaries of Estonian family members reported by diarists. We propose four types of media usage pauses: as a benchmark, as a respite, waiting for pause and cut-off from action. The concept of pause in media usage reveals the resources the media economy is struggling to attract: the audience's attention and time. Although these resources do have limits, the approach by pauses of media usage exposes the opportunities within lifestyles and job specifications to enable taking pauses that actually extend both the time and attention that people devote to media. Clever usage of pauses opens new slots of operating for media companies in the conditions of the attention economy.