Task 2a - Uses and Gratifications Theory

Uses and Gratifications Theory

Summary

At its core, the Uses and Gratificaitons Theory looks at the "what people can do with media" rather than "what the media can do for people". People will seek out what they desire in media, rather than let media dictate the things they enjoy. This suggests the presence of a very active audience, who voluntarily seek out their favourite shows, films, radio stations and literature to gain satisfaction. There are five main categories of human needs that people will seek out shown below:

Key Characteristics

- This theory assumes that the audience is very active, and will voluntarily seek out the types of media they desire
- It is very contradictory to the Hypodermic Needle Theory as it suggests that instead of the audience is active, instead of passively taking in everything the media says
- This theory was used to disprove the Hypodermic Needle Theory  
- When the needs of the audience are met, they get satisfaction from the media
- The audience is not seen as a mindless, helpless victim of the media as they are solely responsible for picking the media that will fulfill their desires and suit their needs
 

Advantages

- It allows people to shape the media around their lives, using it when and where they desire
- People have the options to seek out whatever media they wish, whether that be a romcom when they're sad or a horro film during Halloween
- The audience is given a personality, and that is taken into consideration based on what media they consume
- It focuses on individuals in an audience and works around their desires 
 

Disadvantages

- This theory makes media out to seem much less important than it really is in our lives
- Not every audience is active enough to seek out what they desire from the media
- Media is just seen as a means to an end for most people; simply something to pass the time
- The media doesn't seem nearly as important in this theory compared to others such as the Hypodermic Needle Theory
- The theory never considers the sheer power of the media on a mass audience 
  

Theorists

The theory which originated in 1940s works off of Abraham Maslow's theory of Needs and Motiviation which stated that people would voluntarily seek out activities that satisfy their needs based on their social heirarchy. The most prominent theorist of the Uses and Gratifications Theory was Herta Herzog who initially looked at the the reasons why people chose specific types of media and how it affected their lives. Other notable theorists include Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler and Michael Gurevitch. They worked collaboratively with other theorists during the 1970s to divide the basic human needs related to media as listed above.

Examples of this theory

An obvious example of this theory would be the decision you make when you go to the cinema. Some people may go to view a film that was made to dramatise a historical event, and that individual wishes to watch that film to gain more information about that historical event. Another individual may go to watch that film because they like the actors that star in it and want to support their career. Each person has a different reason or reasons to watch a film and this is exactly what is highlighted in the theory.

People like watching films or listening to music or watching TV that suit their desires at a given time. For example, an individual who wishes to listen to rock music may put on an album by Queen, or if they want to listen to some funk music they may put on an album made by Funkadelic. 

Another example might be the reasons for people reading the newspaper or watching the news. Most you would assume use it as a way to stay updated with current events, however some might use it to avoid boredom, if there is nothing else on TV to or watch, or if you're waiting for someone to arrive you may pick up a newspaper and read it. Others might use the news as a way of self-reassurance, knowing that they're secure in their lives.