There's an inherent shortcoming in self-reported media diaries. It is that they are self-reported. "Of course the variable is human behavior," says Mike Bloxham, director of insight and research at
Ball State's Center for Media Design, and a man who regularly uses observational and eye-tracking methods to record what people are exposed to and what they actually look at. There is just too much
coming at us on a daily basis to record it all consciously, especially when, as is very often the case, media is consumed simultaneously. "Diaries can be more accurate than phone-based recall surveys,
but in both cases one cannot be sure how much of your data is based on perception versus reality. People simply can't recall everything accurately," Bloxham says. "However, one strength of diaries
lies in the ability of a well-designed diary to capture specific data in a relatively cost-efficient way. Like any other research tool, diaries have to be properly matched to the right purpose." Lest
you confuse our diaries here with the sort of sophisticated research Bloxham engages in, you've been warned. But you'll see how these three consumers view a day in their own media worlds.
See the media diaries...
