Monday, 10 November 2014

Uses and Gratifications Theory

Rather than experiencing a specific thing, we use the media to gratify our needs.

My Sisters Keeper, Clip 1: 

                                               
How do you feel when watching the trailer for this film? 
  • Sad
  • Peaceful
  • Tearful
  • Relatable (someone in the family might have suffered from cancer)
  • Grateful (that you aren't going through it)

What Happens in Vegas, Clip 2:


How do you feel when watching the trailer for this film?
  • Happy
  • Laughing
  • Associations (getting drunk, parties etc.) 

Which would you choose to consume and why?
I would choose to consume 'What Happens in Vegas' because it is funny and I like the actress, Cameron Diaz. 

Why would people choose to consume these films?

My Sisters Keeper: may want to feel sad, relate to it, like the actors/actresses. 
What Happens in Vegas: to laugh, enjoyment, like the actors/actresses. 
What is the theory about? 

-what is used within the content to effect the audience.
-choosing what genre we want to consume.
-you're in control of media rather than vice-versa. 

Passive Audience: taking it all in.
Active Audience: we choose to consume the media. 


  • The 'uses and gratifications' model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences.


  • The model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmes that we do, why we both to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with our favourite soap or consume films. 



  • The theory makes the audience active as they choose what they want to consume, they are not forced in to consumption for e.g. you only watch the films you want as you are in control of your choices. The media simply creates the product. 



  • The theory argued that audiences needs have social and psychological needs which generate certain expectations about the mass media and what they are exposed to. 



  • As the audience is the active participant, it allows them to make choices in relation to what they consume, making ones self in control of what they consume. This does assume an active audience makes motivated choices; again giving the audience full control of their own consumerism. 
The 4 Needs: 

The underlying idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire to fulfill, or gratif certain needs. So rather than asking how the media use us, the model asks how we use the media. The 4 needs consist of:

-Surveillance
-Personal Identity
-Personal Relationships
-Diversion

Surveillance:
-Based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. For example, the news is a reliable source and we watch this, therefore people feel secure about knowing what is happening in the world around them.
-The surveillance model is all about aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security.


Current examples of this is the news talking about the outbreak of Ebola, we are constantly updated on the situation of Ebola and the whereabouts of the disease. This makes us feel safe as we are aware of what is going on around us and if it were to spread to the UK, we would be prepared.

Personal Identity:
-Explains how being a subject of the media allows us to confirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society.
-The use of the media for forming personal identity can be seen in music videos/films. Pop stars can often become big role models, therefore inspiring young children everywhere. This is why when a 'star' does something bad, there is a global outcry and everyone forms their own opinions.

For example, Nicki Minaj is very well known and her video 'Anaconda' became massive and everyone made a big deal about it because they thought it was so explicit.
But, an example of us 'fitting into' society and connecting with identities is the music video 'All About that Bass' by Meghan Trainor.



Personal Relationships:
-This comes in two parts: relationships with the media and using the media within relationships.
-We can form a relationship with the media and also use media to form a relationship. Watching the same people on TV can create a connection between the audience and character or star on TV, therefore when a character dies that they are close to, the audience feels as though they have lost a friend.
-We also use the media to form a relationship. Sometimes people use their favourite TV show as a conversation starter, therefore they meet new people by sharing this similarity. According to studies, they say that families use the TV to start a conversation between them. This is much like the TV show 'Gogglebox' which shows families watching TV on a weekly basis.

Diversion: 
-The diversion need describes what is commonly termed as 'escapism' - watching the television so we can forget about our own lives and problems for a while and think about something else other than this.
-We watch music videos to take our mind off our every day lives as we want to distract ourselves from the problems we may be experiencing. We want to see that people experience the same feelings as we do and want to forget about our own problems and focus on someone else's.
-A few examples of this would be music videos like: Best Thing I Never Had by Beyonce, Happy by Leona Lewis and Pills n Potions by Nicki Minaj. All these videos show them singing about their own problems that they are going through or have experienced. The problems are common among a lot of people therefore the audience can relate to them.





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