Uses And Gratification

Uses and Gratification

Uses and Gratification theory is the theory that everyone uses media for a different use and for a different reason. It focus' on the fact that people choose certain types of media to meet their needs. Due to this the media compete with each other to fulfill the viewer's gratification. When it comes to gratification there are five main aspects. 

Tension Release : This is when people use media to relax or distract themselves. An example is watching a movie they enjoy or listening to music. Movie companies such as Netflix or Amazon are increasingly popular due to the large amount of people wanting to relax through this media form. 

Personal Integrative Needs:  This is when people use the media to boost self esteem and the way they feel about themselves by reassuring their place in society. Some people change their lifestyle due to the media.

Social Integrative Needs: This is when people want to socialise with people like family and friends. This is using sites such as Facebook to satisfy their social needs. 

Affective Needs: This is when people use the media to satisfy their emotional needs. For example watching a sad movie will make some people cry.

Cognitive  Needs: This is when people use the media to gain knowledge on a certain topic. Some people may watch quiz shows or programs specific to their subject e.g a nature program. Another use of media for this is a search engine. Search engines are increasingly becoming the route to finding out information. 

In this contents page Cognitive Needs are shown through the "News" section as this provides knowledge on what is currently happening. Personal Integrative Needs are expressed through the  personal story featured at the bottom of the page. Tension Release is shown through the information on concerts and  upcoming music.