Behind screens.

The arrival of commercial TV and radio broadcasters and the Internet has led to an explosive increase in the amount of information and entertainment available. Technological developments mean that people can access many different media services, whenever and wherever they wish. What consequences does this have for the way in which people access information and entertainment and maintain contacts with each other? Can socially vulnerable groups keep afloat in the flood tide of information?

This study explores trends in media and ICT use since 1975. Separate attention is devoted to reading books, newspapers and magazines, the use of radio and television and the use of computers and the Internet. The study looks at the significance of the media for the dissemination of culture and at the international position of the Dutch media. It then investigates whether the use of media, like the content, has become more varied, and to what extent use of one medium displaces the use of another. Finally, the findings are translated into a possible restructuring of the media and information policy.