In communication science, interest is growing in the question of why people use mass media and how they interact with it. While early media usage research was criticized for lacking theory, there are now numerous approaches and theories available. However, there is still no comprehensive overview. This volume aims to address this gap. In four sections, it (1) provides a systematic and historical overview of media usage research and its contextual factors, explains (2) the key theories of general media usage, examines (3) specific media selection and reception processes, and finally presents (4) media usage in a social context.