Topic > Uses and gratification theory in mass media

In my assignment I will tell you about the "uses and gratification theory". This theory is different and not like other mass media theories. The other theories mainly focus on the effects that the media has on the public. They don't take the consumers or the power of the public. So the U and G theory describes what the effect of the audience on the media is. It is not unilateral, but the effect is bilateral. This theory says that the public also affects the media. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayUses and gratification are totally opposite to other theories the term used for the audience is that they are very active and know how to use media to satisfy their wants, desires or needs. Contrary to other theories that show that all the power lies in the media, this theory basically says that no, that's not the case, it's the public that has all the power and the media literally has no power over the public. In other words we can say that this theory does not focus on what the effects of mass media are on people but focuses more on the public's reaction to those media. Now the first question that comes to mind is: where does this come from? uses and gratifications” from which the name actually derives. Well, that media server has a purpose, so it will satisfy a use, the audience or people who have some needs or desires that need to be satisfied or in other words be gratified. This is why the public turns to the mass media to satisfy or gratify their needs. So, we got our answer: where does the name come from. Now the second question that arises is what the history of the theory is. So let's talk about it. This theory does not come in one period of time but it came in many stages and from many people. The first time it came from was in the United States in the 1940s. It was Harold Laswell's reaction to the hypodermic needle model. He questioned that model. After the questioning he then proposed or presented the four functions of the media. He said there are 4 things that media fulfills and that is why media is used by the public. Laswell's 4 functions of media include these points. Surveillance: inform people, give them information about what is happening near him and also around him. the world. Personal identity: People find some sort of ideal or model of behavior by looking at the media. They want to learn from that character and they also want to compare themselves to those role models. Personal relationship: People are emotionally touched by some characters they see in the media. The experiences they see in that character create a bond or relationship with that character.Diversion: We use media to get away from the harsh reality of the world and into the frivolous world of media. They want to escape or free themselves from sadness and spend their time entertaining themselves through media. After the Laswell model of the 1940s in the 1970s, 3 social scientists, Bulmer, Katz and Gurevitch, further explained the Laswell model or the research conducted by Laswell. They presented a theory that audiences determine how to use media to meet their needs. They also say that the public has the power over the media. If the audience is not satisfied, entertained or doesn't like the content, they don't watch it, then the media is forced to change the content because people don't like it. For example, it can be explained in a simple way as if he the consumer (who is the audience) goes to buy a product (which is a multimedia content) but if the consumer, user or buyer (the audience) is not satisfied with that product, they would no longer buy that product. So the producers who are the media must.