The Impact of Paradoxical Usage Tensions on Family Technology Consumption
Keywords
Loading...
Authors
Issue Date
2024-07-02
Language
en
Document type
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Title
ISSN
Volume
Issue
Startpage
Endpage
DOI
Abstract
Technology has become an indispensable part of our lives, impacting individuals and their
families. Existing marketing research reveals positive and negative feelings towards
technology, shaping families' consumption experience. It is yet to be understood how these
tensions can co-exist as families struggle with technology's good and bad sides. Drawing from
the Paradoxes of Technology Theory as an enabling lens, and working within the Consumer
Culture Theory research tradition, this thesis examines families’ challenges with technology
by examining how their views on technology impact their consumption, and how family
dynamics impact this relationship. This research addresses key limitations in prior family
technology consumption and technology paradox literature, by exploring which paradoxes
challenge families and how they cope with them. With data from 15 in-depth interviews and a
netnography study, this research identifies three new paradoxes and one new coping strategy
specific to families. The findings show that paradoxes and coping strategies are different within
a family context as they relate to the individual and have a relational aspect regarding the
parent-child relationship. Additionally, the study finds that family dynamics influence which
paradoxes challenge families as the children’s life stage determines which paradoxes are
prominent for parents. This thesis contributes to family technology consumption literature by
examining families' views on technology through a technology paradox lens to establish how
these tensions can co-exist. Furthermore, it contributes to technology paradox literature by
finding new paradoxes and a coping strategy impacted by family dynamics. Thereby it offers
practical implications for marketers and policymakers as the insights can be used in targeting
or branding practices and for creating educational campaigns to create awareness and
reassurance for families.
Description
Citation
Supervisor
Faculty
Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen