Preserving Treasures of One´s Media Past: Media Nostalgia and Media Change in the Life Span

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Communication and Technology Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Due to media change individuals are facing challenges in their everyday life-worlds. They have to adapt to a constant (re-)invention of ICTs which means to continuously cope with new media technology, formats, communication dynamics and content. This paper elaborates on how individuals are coping with media change in regard of nostalgic engagement with their media past. Results of an online survey show that an active and social way of coping leads to a positive assessment of media change and does not facilitate media nostalgia. The contrary appears when individuals are denying change and are avoiding the problems they are facing in processes of media change. In these cases media nostalgia paves the way for disengaging coping strategies that help to turn away from the problem to comforting nostalgic memories treasured in one´s past life span which explains a negative attitude towards media change.

Author

• Manuel Menke, Augsburg University