‘I have stopped … listening to the radio and haven't been going on any news channels online’: An analysis of media consumption patterns in Australia

Democracy depends on an information environment in which the media provide relevant news and information to citizens who are interested in public issues and willing to become knowledgeable about what is happening in society. In this article, we analyse Australians’ narratives about their daily social media use patterns. We first map media-related challenges that face democratic societies. Then we analyse, based on our original qualitative research (focus groups, in-depth interviews, and media diaries of 66 Australians), dominant media patterns and sentiments: the (excessive) time spent on commercial social media; and avoidance and apathy. These, we conclude, have serious consequences for the healthy functioning of a democratic society. The landscape of commercial social media is associated with disengagement, withdrawal, and a reluctance to participate in democratic life.