Understanding Emerging Adults' Consumption of TV Series in the Digital Age: A Practice-Theory-based Approach

The present research investigates how traditional roles of television (TV) in structuring consumers' everyday lives and fostering social relationships change when emerging adults switch to the digital (i.e., non-linear) network, as well as how they experience these changes. We use a practice-theory-based lens to explore (1) how switching to the digital network triggers misalignments in emerging adults' TV series viewing practice configurations, and (2) how they address these threats to the smooth performance of their practice triad. Through in-depth interviews, we identify key tensions stemming from emerging adults' experienced loss of structure and consumption sociality. Further, we delineate the realignment strategies consumers employ to stabilize their practice triad. The present research expands the current understanding of the role of TV in structuring the fabric of consumers' lives and nurturing social bonds in the digital age.