What it is meant by uses and gratifications? Which uses and
gratifications do you think are the most important for people nowadays?
Uses and gratifications refers to the reasons people watch
television shows or any media artifact. It explores and gives different motifs of why people spend valuable time of their lives sitting in front of a TV
watching any type of program. This theory explains why TV shows, such as The
Kardashians or Ladies of London, that are considered bad when analyzed by content
or as a cinematographic piece, survive in a very competitive industry. I believe that, nowadays, the most important uses of media for people are: To be amused, to
see others make mistakes, and to explore taboo subjects with impunity and
without risks. Let’s explore this reasoning further...
To be amused. I believe amusement is the most basic use any human gives to media artifacts. We are always looking
for ways to have fun and relax. We live in a globalized world where, in order to succeed, you
need to work long hours and live in a stressful work environment. Therefore, media
exists as an outlet to escape the “real” world and enjoy a show that
was created to entertain us.
To see others make mistakes. I believe that seeing others making mistakes is a very common gratification for users, this has become more prominent nowadays with the creation of reality TV. These programs are being created to show us “real life” people (upper-class elite most of the time) struggling in their daily lives more than the average "normal" person would. This makes the audience feel better about their own lives as well as mistakes.
To explore taboo subjects with impunity and without risks. This is a large part of media use since
the beginning of mass media. Like the saying goes,“SEX SELLS”, it truly does. Humans are always looking to explore the unknown and the forbidden. Media artifacts provide a safe environment where we can explore subjects and experiences that are not possible in our daily lives. This is a well exploited segment of the media and it can be seen across multiple media platforms, like daily news shows, movies, TV shows, books, etc.
To see others make mistakes. I believe that seeing others making mistakes is a very common gratification for users, this has become more prominent nowadays with the creation of reality TV. These programs are being created to show us “real life” people (upper-class elite most of the time) struggling in their daily lives more than the average "normal" person would. This makes the audience feel better about their own lives as well as mistakes.
To explore taboo subjects with impunity and without risks. This is a large part of media use since
the beginning of mass media. Like the saying goes,“SEX SELLS”, it truly does. Humans are always looking to explore the unknown and the forbidden. Media artifacts provide a safe environment where we can explore subjects and experiences that are not possible in our daily lives. This is a well exploited segment of the media and it can be seen across multiple media platforms, like daily news shows, movies, TV shows, books, etc.
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