Displacement effects of online media in the socio-technical contexts of households

This study investigated the impact of online media on other media and family communication. Data gathered from 185 persons in 84 households indicate that time spent in television viewing, newspaper reading, telephone usage, and family conversations is affected by online use. Usage of online media is significantly different among genders and generations. A process of functional displacement may be occurring in which television is being gradually displaced by online media as the primary source of information.