Computers,Mass Media,and Schooling: Functional Equivalence in Uses of New Media

Abstract

Functional equivalence theory was applied to a study of eighth graders contrasting recreational users and intellectual users of computers in terms of academic performance and use of other media. Recreational users, who play video games frequently, were the heaviest television viewers and performed the most poorly at school. Intellectual users, who use computers for writing programs and for schoolwork, were the lightest television viewers and demonstrated the highest school performance; they were also infrequent leisure readers. Multi-users, who engage in both recreational and intellectual computer use, were the most infrequent readers. Low users, who seldom or never use computers, were the most frequent leisure-time readers. These findings suggest that computer use may be functionally equivalent to reading for some children and may be displacing time they would otherwise spend with print media. Future research using panel studies could examine whether the time spent with various media is actually changing as children gain access to computers. This study also finds that different factors are associated with amount and type of computer use. By amount of use, frequent computer users have the most access to the technology and are the most infrequent readers. By type of use, intellectual users are the most academically motivated and the least frequent television viewers, while recreational users are the least academically motivated and the most frequent television viewers. Keywords: children, adolescents, mass media, reading, television, computer use, video games, computer programming, functional equivalence, attitudes, academic motivation, self-efficacy, computer access.