Uses and Gratifications theory argues that audiences are active in choosing media to satisfy their own needs rather than being passive recipients of media effects. It focuses on what people do with media rather than what media does to people. The theory was developed in the 1960s in response to audiences making choices about what media to consume and for what reasons. Media can fulfill functions like surveillance, entertainment, cultural transmission for individuals and society. Researchers later expanded the theory to include specific purposes audiences may use media for, such as surveillance, personal identity, diversion, and personal relationships.

1. Uses and Gratifications.
DEFINITION- An active audience theory that focuses on
‘what people do with the media’ rather than what the
media does to people, arguing that audiences are free to
pick and choose from a wide range of media products to
satisfy their own needs.

2. During the 1960’s, as the first generation to
grow up with television became grown ups, it
became apparent to media theorists that
audiences made choices about what they did
when consuming texts. Far from being a
passive mass, audiences were made up of
individuals who actively consumed texts for
different reasons and in different ways.

3. Media texts have the following functions for
individuals and society:
• Surveillance
• Correlation
• Entertainment
• Cultural Transmission

4. In 1974, researchers Blulmer and Katz expanded this theory and
published their own stating that individuals may choose and use a
text for the following purposes:
• Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living. Eg.
Weather reports, financial news and holiday bargains.
• Personal Identity - Finding yourself reflected in texts, learning
behaviour and values from text.
• Diversion - Escape from everyday problems and routine.
• Personal Relationships - Using the media for emotional and
other interaction. Eg. Substituting soap operas for family life.