The Uses and Gratifications theory proposes that audiences actively seek out media to meet certain needs, rather than passively receiving messages. It suggests people use different types of media for reasons like surveillance, correlation, entertainment, cultural transmission, personal identity, social interaction, and information. The theory sees audiences as active in independently deciding what media to consume and how to consume it based on their own motivations. However, critics argue the theory overlooks the power and influence of media producers in shaping audience uses and effects.

1. Theory:Uses& Gratifications
Theorists:
What isthe theory?
Uses andGratificationstheorytriestoexplainwhypeople consumedifferenttypesof
mediaandwhat theygetfromit. The theorylooksat how people use theirtime anenergy
findingmediathatwill suittheirneeds.Differenttheoristshave collecteddifferentreasons
for whypeople consume the mediatheydo.Forexample,HaroldLasswellexplainsthat
people consume mediafor4 certainreasons;Surveillance,correlation,entertainmentand
cultural transmission.OthertheoristssuchasDenisMcQuail suggestthatthe 4 mainuses
are for;Information,personal identity,integrationandsocial interaction,andfor
entertainment.
Doesthistheorysee the audience asactive orpassive?Whydo youthinkthis?
Thistheoryseesthe audience asactive.The audience make theirowndecisionsof which
mediatoingest,andtheymake the decisionswhenitcomestofindingitandchoosing
whentoconsume it.It alsoexplainsthataudienceschoose how longtheyspend
consumingthe mediaratherthanbeingfeditat the choosingof organisationsthat
theoriessuchasthe hypodermicneedle wouldsuggest. Ithinkitshowsthe audience tobe
active as itthe audience ischoosingtointegrate sociallyusingmedia,orusingitfor
entertainment.Theyaren’tforcedtodoso.
What are the criticismsof thistheory?
The theoryhas beencriticisedforsuggestingthatmediaproducershave nopoweror
control in whyaudiencesuse certainmedias.Italsosuggeststhe producershave no
responsibilityforthe effectthe mediashave onanaudience.These criticiserssuggest that
the producershave atleastsome poweroverthe audiencesusesandgratificationsof the
media,andthat itis notsolelyupto the user.People whosuggestthispowerfromthe
producersoftenagree withideassuchasviolentvideogamesinfluencingchildrento
commitviolentcrimes.
Applythe theory:
People use the mediaattheirownwill,theyuse itformultiple reasonsincludingsocial
integration,entertainmentandescapism.PersonallyIhave andstill douse mediaasa way
of integratingsocially,forexampledownloadingandplayingapopularsmartphone game
inorder to compete andfindcommon factorsbetweenmyself andotherpeople.By
playingthe same game I have a wayto start conversationsorinteractwiththemregarding
the game.I oftenuse mediacontentforentertainment,suchasYouTube towatch Moto-
vloggers.Iwatchthese because Ilike tohearabout the riderslivesandinterests,aswell as
seeingandhearingabouttheirmotorcycles.Escapismisacommonreasonto consume
media,toescape realitiesandbe engulfedbyafictional media.Anexample of thiscanbe
whenplayingavideogame,the audience starsinanalternate realityasa race driveror
rich gangster. Thisescape intoa newworldcanprovide anaudience withamental escape
at theirownwill torelax andignore theirpresentlife.