Uses and Gratification

This approach focuses on why people use particular media rather than on content.

It is also well known as the understanding of mass production.

The theory concentrates on the audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking ‘what people do with media’ rather than ‘what media does to people’.

Personal Identification, being able to recognise the product in front of you, role models that reflect similar values to yours, aspiration to be someone else.

Information, being able to acquire information, knowledge and understanding.

Entertainment, what you are consuming should give you enjoyment and also some form of ‘escapism’ enabling us to forget our worries temporally.

Social Interaction, the ability for media products to produce a topic of conversation between other people, sparks debates.

Often known as PIES, as the abbreviation, this is used to break down and see the differences to how people use their feelings as an act upon different types of media.

A lot of the public criticize the theory as they believe that nothing has control over the media and what it produces, especially the public. And that it is too fair on the media and they do not want to be help responsibility for what the media produce.

However the theory is more relevant to sky and internet uses. This is because they enable users to have much more freedom and control over what they consume in relation to the pre-internet and analogue TV.

For example, if I was sad or down I would most probably watch a sad love story such as ‘the notebook’ or ‘something borrowed’ as it makes me feel happy and they’re, personally, really good films which capture you in and can block everything bad that’s going on in my life and allow me to relate to the bad things and problems of the characters lives. Watching a movie with a genre matching your mood can let you relate to it and help you realise you are not the only person with, in this case, bad things happening to you and that it always gets better.

If I was happy or in a good mood, Id more probably watch something like 21 jump street or either of the hangover movies. This is because they are both hilarious and would keep or even uplift my already good mood to better. If I watch them they make me feel good because they both make me laugh so much.

When I’m bored I’d most probably watch a rom-com, including ‘knocked up’ and ‘how to lose a guy in 10 days’ this is because it would entertain me whilst I was bored, however they aren’t to full on like comedies or romances but a mixture of both. As I enjoy this genre it is something that I would watch in my time, even though im bored it is something I take pleasure in.