Motivation and leisure satisfaction of mass media use among Hong Kong adolescents

This paper examines the role of mass media use as leisure activity among Hong Kong adolescents. It specifically investigates the reasons for using different mass media and the leisure satisfaction derived from this use. Data collected through a questionnaire administered to students (n=7570) were subjected to descriptive and structural equation modeling analysis. Results indicate that adolescents use mass media for expressive, social, relaxation and intellectual reasons and different mass media serve different functions. Age and gender differences are found in relation to the reasons for using mass media and the leisure satisfaction derived from that use. The older the adolescents, the more they tend to use the various types of mass media for expressive, social and intellectual reasons. Females are found to derive more leisure satisfaction from participation in mass media activities than from other leisure activities. Females also derive mostly the educational type of leisure satisfaction and especially from engaging in reading. Overall, the study sheds light on the positive aspects of mass media use among adolescents and thus balances the recent trend of focusing on their adverse effects. It further calls attention to the roles of a wide range of mass media, and to age and gender differences in mass media use which deserve further examination.