Toward an analysis of household information consumption as a dimension of the emerging information infrastructure

This article suggests the importance of studying households as a focus for understanding the consequences of the new information infrastructure. Households represent not only private space but also information environments in which an increasing range of activities is conducted. The variety of experiences in American households cautions against simple generalizations. As households reflect ongoing demographic shifts, the uses of information technologies in households also will change. Social cleavages due to status and working conditions will influence the uses of media and information technologies. The article also proposes a function-based approach to studying media in households.