Good Example Of Following The American Psychological Association’s Guidelines Essay

Communication: Media and Generation

Communication: Media and Generation
The primary question posed in the article entitled, “The Relationship Between Media Use in the Bedroom, Sleep Habits and Symptoms of Insomnia,” asks if media portals in our bedrooms disrupt our sleeping habits, or are the cause of insomnia. Some important factors or variables that are identified include that since the advent of multiple handheld electronic devices, insomnia has gone up, and so have the reports of insomnia. Furthermore, individuals who report having trouble sleeping also report having one or more media outlets in their bedroom. The hypothesis was if the media outlets were removed, then the insomnia would decrease or be relieved entirely. The method of study was observational; individuals were first asked to record their media use before bed while in their bedrooms, as well as their trouble sleeping. Then they were asked to decrease their media use. The research was collected quantitatively, with researchers counting the number of media devices, number of hours used, and comparing it to the number of hours slept each night for each participant.
The result of the study proved the hypothesis. Individuals who had more media outlets, or who used them right before bed, or while in bed, had more sleep issues than those who did not. Moreover, individuals who were asked to establish sleep routines that did not involve any media, or any form of technology acknowledged they began sleeping more restfully, or were able to eliminate their insomnia entirely. Steadily stopping the use of media outlets before bed, or while in bed decreased insomnia, or stopped it in some cases, proving that media outlets in the bedroom were often the cause of bad sleeping habits, as well as insomnia. The information is relevant because many individuals use electronic media everywhere they go, even in bed. They may not realize the use of such media interferes with the hours that should be spent preparing for sleep, or sleeping. Some may not understand this is what is causing their sleep problems at all and, therefore, may need studies such as these to alter their behavior in order to begin living healthier lives.
The primary question asked in the article, “Do Millennials Read Books or Blogs? Introducing a Media Usage Typology of the Internet Generation,” is whether the millenial generation reads blogs more often than books and, if so, how to cater to this in order to teach them information worth knowing. Important variables identified were that millennials have grown up in a different environment than aging generations, and have adapted to use technology differently. It is an extension of their day, rather than a waste of time in many cases. There was no hypothesis, researchers merely wanted to know more about the function of the internet in the daily life of a millennial, with an emphasis on social media and educational material.
The method of research was observational; researchers monitored active media use on specific social media sites, as well as educational sites. The research was collected through a “hit counter,” a popular tool used by websites or ad and marketing companies. The results shows that though millennials generally participate often in social media, they are not the group of sheep most literature would paint them as. Most existing literature does not account for social media’s capacity to be personalized, as well as its expansion into other, more educational areas of the internet, allowing millennials access to more than just social media even when that is the website they stick to. The information is relevant because it means millennials are not as dumb as we thinnk. They are often informed, begin maintaining an identity despite the homogenous nature of the internet, and often use social media that shows them other sites, some of which are educational. The relevancy revolves around the fact that though many millennials are reading blogs, they are also reading educational material; the internet is not rotting their brain.

References

Brunborg, G. S., Mentzoni, R. A., Molde, H., Myrseth, H., & Pallesan, S. (2011). The relationship between media use in the bedroom, sleep habits and symptoms of insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 569-575.
Kilian, T., Hennigs, N., & Langer, S. (2012). Do Millennials read books or blogs? Introducing a media usage typology of the internet generation. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 114-124.