NOTES - Uses and Gratification

Uses and Gratification Theory

- Developed by Blulmer and Katz, the uses and gratification theory theorises that media consumers seek media that fulfils their own needs

- There are five reasons why consumers seek out the products : information and education, entertainment, personal identity, integration for social interaction and escapism

» surveillance - viewer wants to gain information - most likely would be from watching the news or documentaries
» entertainment - watched for enjoyment
» personal identity - viewers can decide on what to view based on their own values ad personality
» integration and social interaction - when media sparks conversations (ah, did you see _____ last night ?)
» escapism - when viewers are able to escape the real world (video games are the main form)

- It asks 'what people do with media' instead of 'what media does to people'

- It also suggests that media companies compete against each other to win the viewers gratification

- There has been criticism on the theory because the public instead believe that they have no control over what the media companies produce for them

- Others believe that the idea that we use the media to 'satisfy our needs' is not recognising the power that it has over society (daytime television = housewives, fashion magazines = women, video games = young men)

- Modern society makes the theory more relevant because of things like Sky, Virgin, Now TV (they all let us have more freedom over what we consume on a daily basis as we are able to choose)

https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/uses-and-gratifications-theory

https://www.slideshare.net/zlorhenley/uses-and-gratifications-theory-6933502