Uses and Gratification Theory
Introduction
What is gratification? Gratification means the desire to be pleased by something. When classified further, it is a human need to feel comfort or relaxation in a particular thing. When we look at gratification from the media point of view, we see the same thing, only, it is specified to the audience. The theory is that why? Why does the audience use the media? Balumar and Katz were the two theorists who, in 1974, suggested that the audience and the people who use any form of media have a great part in choosing and deciding how and what media to use.
Defining a little further
If I further define this theory I would say that this approach basically aims to understand the consumer masses better. Katz stated in 1959 that the real question being asked should not be, “What media does to people”, instead, “what people do with media”.
When one looks deeper into the psychology of this theory, what crosses one’s mind is that the members of the respected audience or the consumers are very active in using media in their lives according to how they want to interpret it. As I mentioned earlier, this theory or approach suggests that consumers use media to please their own needs.
Background
Between the late 1930’s …show more content…
The first one is that these needs mentioned above in the list can be divided into fundamentally different types of gratifications as shown, or so some scholars say. Swanson believes that all these distinctions are what differentiate between two of the following statements made by him: “Gratifications that result from the pleasurable experience of media content and are realized during consumption…” and “gratifications that result from learning… practical affairs”. The second important theory is the distinction between gratifications sought and gratifications obtained which is also shown in the list
Introduction
What is gratification? Gratification means the desire to be pleased by something. When classified further, it is a human need to feel comfort or relaxation in a particular thing. When we look at gratification from the media point of view, we see the same thing, only, it is specified to the audience. The theory is that why? Why does the audience use the media? Balumar and Katz were the two theorists who, in 1974, suggested that the audience and the people who use any form of media have a great part in choosing and deciding how and what media to use.
Defining a little further
If I further define this theory I would say that this approach basically aims to understand the consumer masses better. Katz stated in 1959 that the real question being asked should not be, “What media does to people”, instead, “what people do with media”.
When one looks deeper into the psychology of this theory, what crosses one’s mind is that the members of the respected audience or the consumers are very active in using media in their lives according to how they want to interpret it. As I mentioned earlier, this theory or approach suggests that consumers use media to please their own needs.
Background
Between the late 1930’s …show more content…
The first one is that these needs mentioned above in the list can be divided into fundamentally different types of gratifications as shown, or so some scholars say. Swanson believes that all these distinctions are what differentiate between two of the following statements made by him: “Gratifications that result from the pleasurable experience of media content and are realized during consumption…” and “gratifications that result from learning… practical affairs”. The second important theory is the distinction between gratifications sought and gratifications obtained which is also shown in the list