The Uses and Gratification Theory proposes that people use various media to satisfy four basic needs: 1) the need to escape from everyday life, 2) the need to gather information about people and events, 3) the need to form relationships with others who share their interests, and 4) the need to develop their personal identity. Magazines and other media can provide escapism from reality and information about people's lives. Music magazines in particular allow people to bond over shared interests, discuss stories and opinions online, and form social connections and potential friendships. Identifying with particular artists or genres can also help people define their own identity and character.

1. The Uses and
Gratification Theory
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Blumler and Katz (1974)

2. The theory put through by Blumler and Katz follows
the idea that people use various forms of media as a
way of satisfying four basic needs, these are:
 The need to escape from the diversion of everyday
life.
 The need to survey and gather information on
people and events.
 To form relationships with people who share their
interests.
 To form an identity for themselves based on what
they enjoy.
Introduction

3. Magazines and other form of media can be used
as escapism from everyday life that people have
to go through; people can get involved with the
lives of artists they follow and their individual
stories and they can interact and engage with
these without having to worry about what is
going on in their own lives for a small time.
Escapism

4. Many different magazines and media outlets
often provide information into the lives of
different people, telling us about what they’re
into and what they’ve been doing. This allows the
audience to know what is going on ‘out there’
with the people that they’re interested in.
Surveillance/Information

5. Music magazines can use the idea that people
will bond with other, likeminded, people over
things that they enjoy. People can use forums to
discuss things like stories and events as well as
sharing their opinion on the matters. This
provides a large opportunity for social interaction
with people while online and it can sometimes
lead to friendships with some people.
Personal Relationships

6. The idea that people can identify with a certain
person or genre of music often helps them when
it comes to defining who they are and often helps
create character in them.
Personal Identity