Uses & Gratifications

This theory explains that people deliberately use certain types of media for different purposes. In the bigger picture of this field of communication it stands to show that if you want to study the effects media has on people [see theory from my last post; Cultivation Theory] you must first remember that people are specifically choosing most of the media they are exposed to. In this discussion we are going to focus on this theory: People decide what type of media they want to use and then also what effects they want (or will let) the media have on them and there for the same message can have a different impact on different individual.

To narrow it down, this theory focuses on: what types of media people are using, why people use those certain types of media, what different needs they are gratifying with their use of that media, and the different effects media has on different people.

I did a little research of my own in order to better understand this theory and interviewed three people from different age groups. I asked them about the types of media they consume, why they use that certain type and how it compares in relation to other types or media, and what they get out consuming this media.

Here is the first interview I did with a college student named Laura:

Laura said that she listened to music and this was the type of media she used the most. Examples of why she chose to use music was for entertainment while driving and in other cases to relax such as when doing homework. She also said she watched TV for different reasons and that different shows did effect her differently. She then talks about how she uses Facebook, social media, to pass the time and to communicate with other people. She said she really disliked the show Family Guy and that she liked the story line of The Walking Dead but thought it was scary. 

Here is the second interview with Spencer who is 15 years old and is in high-school.

Spencer said he listened to music when I asked him what type of media he consumed the most of. He said he listens to music in his down time and as entertainment such as while taking a shower. He said it gave him an uplifting feeling. Spencer said he plays video games as well but his reasoning for doing so differed. He plays certain games to pass the time and for enjoyment but also used it for social interaction through collaborating online while playing and "to win" in some instances as well. He loved the show Family Guy and was excited about the show The Walking Dead.

This is the third interview I did with my mother, Kelly:

Kelly said she mostly read books. She reads all different types but reads mostly around the same time, after work, in order to relax and because she enjoys the down time. She said she liked to get lost in the story and go into her own little world. She also said that she watches TV in order to laugh without having to pay a lot of attention to what is going on. She has never played video games and barely interacts on Facebook. She also said she didn't like Family Guy and has never really watched the show The Walking Dead.

All these interviews reinforced the idea that different people use different types of media and for varying reasons. Some media was used to pass the time, some to communicate with others, and some simply for entertainment purposes. This range of answers depicted what the theory of Uses and Gratifications is trying to explain - different people deliberately use different types of media and for varying reasons.

It also showed that the same type of media could have a different effect on different people. Spencer thought the show Family Guy, which is an animated adult cartoon with crude humor, was hilarious while both of the other participants felt that the show was awful and gave many negative feelings towards it. It also showed that people do pick what type of media they are exposed to. This could be seen through the different media they described using and a specific example is of the varying use of Facebook; Laura was sometimes on the website for hours in a day while Kelly hardly even knew what the social media site was.