By: Kaylah Preechakul, Kate Villacin, Genelle Gogue, Isabel Araiza
Dr.Waleed Rashidi is a professor at California State University, Fullerton in the Department of Communications. He received his B.S. in Communications-Journalism from Cal Poly Pomona, his M.A. in Communications from CSUF, and ended with his Ed.D from the University of La Verne. Rashidi is well-versed in all things entertainment & tourism and public relations. He previously served as the editor in chief of Mean Street Magazine and hosted several radio shows. Rashidi now passes on his experience and wisdom to all curious CSUF students who are so grateful to learn alongside an expert.
Waleed Rashidi conducted a study researching how young adults still use compact discs and what they are doing with them. Specifically, he wanted to know how they were purchasing CDs and why. This topic piqued his interest because while CDs may have been the medium that introduced this demographic to music, most younger generations use streaming as their primary listening platform. However, over the last couple of years, there has been a unique demographic of younger people purchasing CDs. Rashidi was interested to find out this information in an era where the consumption of music is primarily streaming, especially for the younger demographic. With this study, he aimed to catch this transitional moment in media and research the gap on the fading format.
Read More: Why Are Young Adults Using CDs In A Digital Era?Conducting a research study during COVID-19
His target audience is Generation Z and younger millennial age groups. To begin his research process, he narrowed the target age group to 18-26 year-olds. His sampling frame consisted of college students at CSUF. He put together a survey on Qualtrics, including both qualitative and quantitative data. He then sent an email blast to the student population. The survey was open for any student of any major to take, so the data was not gathered from just Communication majors. To encourage students to take the survey, as an incentive, he gave out gift cards with a small sum of money to students who completed the survey. He concluded that 50 responses would be enough to generalize the data to the population. In total, he received 57 responses: 52 complete responses and five partial responses.
Rashidi strategically chose to incorporate a blend of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in his research, recognizing the important benefits of both for more accurate data in this study. While the emphasis leaned more toward qualitative techniques, a conscious effort was made to strike a balance. The survey predominantly featured open-ended questions for students to answer with no bias surrounding others, structured around “why, where, and how,” aiming to elicit in-depth responses.
The utilization of Qualtrics as a survey tool greatly facilitated the collection of such qualitative data. In ensuring the reliability and validity of his study, Rashidi took deliberate steps, such as engaging a substantial sample population. The concept of data saturation, where the sample size is adequate, representative, and comprehensive enough for broader generalizations, was a vital consideration. Notably, the surveyed students’ average age stood at 21.5 years, contributing to the demographic understanding. Despite the challenging backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rashidi managed to collect a total of 57 responses, including two partial responses. Despite the limitations imposed by the circumstances of quarantine and COVID-19, this sample size was deemed sufficiently representative for the experiment.
In terms of the survey information provided, Rashidi made his survey questions based on the main focal points of his study. Rashidi also provided requirements before students could answer his survey. As stated, they have to be 18-26 years old and had to have purchased a new CD in the last year. This ensures that he reaches his target audience. The media and technology is evolving day by day, Rashidi wants to make his questions specific to discover how the younger generation is listening to music.
This nostalgic way of listening is still being used. To find out why, Rashidi’s survey consisted of these questions. When was the last time you purchased a NEW CD? Rashidi found that many of his participants purchased CD’s in May 2019-2020. Why did you purchase a new CD? Where have you bought your recent purchase? (What was your source?) Where did you play your new CDs? What devices did you use? (computer, DVD player, boombox, home stereo) Why do you currently play CDs? He decided to make this an open ended question which gave room for additional information. How many CDs do you own? How many new and used CDs have you purchased? Will you continue to purchase new CDs in the future? Why are you expecting to purchase new CDs? What genres of music do you listen to on CDs? Rashidi provided options of pop, rock, country, and more. Which of these audio playbacks do you use? (Many of his participants responded with options like vinyl, cassettes, downloads, and streaming. These questions were responded to by 57 students and Rashidi was able to make his analysis and see what mark CD’s have made on the younger generation.
Rashidi’s role in the research landscape is focused on observing the evolving trends in how the younger generation engages with media. His aspiration is to witness and contribute to the continued evolution of these trends over the coming years. Essentially, Rashidi’s work embodies a dedication to observing the dynamic shifts in media consumption patterns among younger demographics and generations. His eagerness for ongoing exploration and analysis in this field reveals a commitment to understanding the evolving landscape of media usage, reflecting a desire for continued investigation and interpretation in this domain.
Will CDs ever truly fade?
Researching the usage of CDs in a generation where everything is done through online services and streaming was an interesting choice, and Rashidi is well aware. His thought process behind this niche area of research was to catch a fast moment as it’s going by. As cars with CD players start to become less and less, CDs may also be used less and less. Rashidi is also aware of the resurgence of the “retro” trends coming back, such as vinyls, therefore, Rashidi believes CDs will never fully go away. There is an important history behind CDs, and there’s always a nostalgic feeling behind it. When this generation was growing up, many of their family members showed them their music via CDs, and people remained so loyal to this medium for that reason. Now, when they see their favorite artists come out with a CD of their new album, they feel as though they must get it for loyalty and nostalgia. Regardless if we are in a digital era, CDs will never fully leave.
The Society for Communications Research 