ABSTRACT
The starting point of this chapter is the assumption that new technologies enable all kinds of applications and services. However, technology does not define which of the many services and applications are actually used. This depends on the users of technology, not on the technology itself. By starting from a user perspective, it is possible to see what traditional media or new ICTs are used in what context. Use refers to an individual’s broad pattern of technology usage over time, whereas the actual choice of a medium refers
to a specific decision of an individual to use a technology in a particular communication situation (Trevino, Webster, & Stein, 2000). My research focuses on how consumers make voluntary choices to use ICT in specific contexts; more specifically, I am interested in intensity of use.
