The Role of Recreational Media Use in Youth Socialization: Extending the Citizen Communication Mediation Model

By analyzing data from a national panel survey of adolescents (age 12-17) conducted around the 2008 general election, this study explores the varied roles of television, online gaming, the Internet, and interpersonal communication in youth socialization. In particular, this study proposes and tests an advanced citizen communication mediation model by adding recreational media use, soap opera viewing and playing (social) online game. The conceptualized model of this study is composed of a set of media use types such as informational and recreational media use, interpersonal communication on social issues offline and online. The findings of this study indicate that informational media use such as television news and online news consumption as well as interpersonal communication regarding social issues play a crucial role in youth socialization. In addition, this study found mixed roles by use of recreational media in the outcome, through interpersonal communication activities both offline and online.