Blog Post 7

What is meant by uses and gratifications? Which uses and gratifications do you think are the most important for people nowadays?

Uses and gratifications is a theory used to explain the reason people are drawn to certain media texts and why. Uses and gratifications theory takes into consideration one’s basic needs, as well as the more complex needs one has as a human being who participates in the world around them. The theory goes beyond asking why an individual binge-watches a series, and delves into the deeper need that is innate to one’s existence that drives not only the consumption of media, but the specific consumption of certain media types and genres. The theory can be thought of as an elaboration on the basic desires that humans have, and the relationship those desires have with the world of entertainment. This theory has a direct correlation with how one interacts with the outside world, and how these interactions manifest themselves in entertainment by either reinforcing certain ideas, or providing fulfillment in places in one’s lives that are lacking.

Out of the many uses-and-gratifications included in sociological analysis, there are a few that are highly relevant to contemporary society. In such an individualist culture, many Americans consume media in order to gain identity, which is the consumption of media in order to form a cohesive concept of “self.” This is demonstrated in the popularity of the Marvel series, for heros provide optimal role models and desirable traits to strive toward. Another gratification that is ubiquitous in today’s society is the need to see order imposed on the world. This is important to one’s desires because when one experiences a dissonance between reality and a just, functional society, the portrayal of an unwavering justice in media helps counter some of the feelings of doubt and uncertainty produced by a more unstable society in which justice does not always prevail.