Studies demonstrate displacement effects of digital media use on time spent on school-related obligations; yet, it remains unclear how these effects translate into academic performance. This study addresses this gap by employing data fusion to integrate the German Time-Use Survey (2012/13) and the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS, 2011). The Time-Use Survey provides detailed media activity data, whereas NEPS offers comprehensive performance data but not time-use information. Against the prerequisites of data fusion, this study explores how merging these datasets using multiple imputation techniques can be a cost-effective solution for investigating the effects of media time on academic performance. The findings highlight the necessity for compatibility in datasets, adequate sample sizes, and robust theoretical models to enhance data fusion accuracy. At the conference, we will suggest potential strategies for overcoming these challenges, providing insights for future research utilizing data fusion to explore the impacts of media use on academic performance.
Forschungs-