The theory of Uses and
Gratifications first arose in 1974 when Blulmer and Katz highlighted how the
use of media caused gratification of the social or psychological needs of an
individual. The 4 main areas in which the media does this are Personal
Identity, Social Interaction, Diversion and Information.
There are many ways that the
public use the media for personal identity. Characters on TV shows or people in
magazines act as models for behaviour therefore reinforcing the personal morals
and behaviour of an individual. For example, people who read a punk music
magazine will begin to dress like and, to some extent, act like the people
featured in the magazine. The media is also said to give people an insight into
themselves, this could be by reading an article about someone’s dog dying and
learning how you are expected to react if this same incident occurs in your
life.
The public can also use the
media for social interaction. Television shows often have exaggerated versions
of events likely to happen in real life, which can gains insight into the lives
of other people giving the viewer a sense of social empathy with the
characters. All forms of media stem questions and topics of debate; this means
that they create conversational topics for social interaction giving people
something in common to talk about. Also, characters in long running television
shows and bands and artists featured frequently in magazine interviews give the
reader/watcher a feeling that they know them well and become almost ‘friends’.
Magazines and Television
provide a change from daily routine. For most people they are a form of
relaxation acting as a diversion from real life issues and problems that an
individual faces. They show case the issues of other people so for a while you
can forget about your own. They also provide emotional release such as crying
or laughter, which some people don’t do enough of in daily life that can help to
reduce their stress levels.
Lastly, the media can be
used to provide information. The news tells people what is going on in the
world from day to day and Magazines provide information about upcoming gigs,
album reviews and artists old and new. This makes the audience feel involved and
up to date with what is happening.
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