Media, Media Everywhere, And No Time Left to Think?

The average American is a ravenous media junkie, consuming up to nine hours a day of television, web time or cellphone minutes, according to new research which raises fresh questions about how technology is revolutionizing society. Some experts question whether as consumers are swamped by information, they lose the ability to decipher fact from rumor, or find it hard to think through what they hear. Among the most interesting conclusions was that 30 percent of 'media time' is spent on one or more device, as people perhaps have on eye on the latest reality show on TV while shuffling through their email. Another surprising find is that 18 to 24-year-olds spend less time online than any other age group except for the over 65s.
[SOURCE: Yahoo News]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051004/tc_afp/afplifestylemediausinternet;...

See also:
* Study Gauges TV, Computer Usage by Ethnicity
A new study by Knowledge Networks shows that television plays "a more important social role" among both black and Hispanic households than it does among white households. And the data shows that white households own more personal computers and more pay for high-speed Internet connectivity than do black or Hispanic households.
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: John Consoli]
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10012...