Uses and Gratification TheoryInsert Name
COMM 302Insert Date
Insert ProfUses and Gratification TheoryUses and Gratification Theory is an approach used to understand the reason and how people actively seek out some given media to satisfy their special needs. Mainly, this is an approach which is audience-centered for mass communication. This method shows how and why people have adopted some specific media in order to satisfy their needs (Rubin & Windahl, 1986). It pays attention on the on how the media has a limited effect on their audiences due to the audiences’ ability to control media. Uses and Gratification Theory deals with what people do with media.
Content may be useful in obtaining gratifications for a certain medium (Ruggiero, 2000). For instance, being familiar with some given genre in a certain media can be useful. For instance, watching soap operas can help in obtaining gratification. Also, gratification can be obtained from general exposure to the medium such as watching TV. In addition to this, social context in which media is used can be used for obtaining gratification. One of such contexts is watching Television with family.
A single program of Television can gratify different needs of different people. This depends on people’s personalities, age, background and social responsibilities.
Throughout my past life, I have had gratification from various programs. This has been as a result of my development from a young cartoon lover to the person who I am now. Animation still fascinates me but not as much as it did at my younger age.
It is true that I favor device that gives me access to information and programming that gives me satisfaction of my needs. Mostly, I watch the program to help me in understanding the surrounding, society and the world as a whole. In recent years, I have been following a program on the global health. Health is a very big issue for many in the world and I have been trying to get as much information on the information which tackles the statistics of how different diseases and various health issues have been affecting different areas of the world. My main reason for this is just curiosity (Pearce, n.d.). I am always into searching for general knowledge and self-education. Through this knowledge, I gain important insight on how different areas are hit by health issues. This program has been airing AIDS statistics and other information on some other chronic diseases which have been affecting most of the societies in the whole world.
This program has been very helpful for me to obtain much information in the field of health because I have general interest in this area. I am not particularly following a career path in the health sector but I find this information very good for my consumption.
Health information has been of interest so much to me because health is one of the most important things for every human being. All people are concerned about their health. The quality of life is determined by the health of the individuals and that is why I have some special interest in this field and any program touching on the health of people in the world.
I have a brother who is in the medical profession. Although he may follow this program for general knowledge and for the obtaining of information about health of different area, I think his own reasons for loving this program are dictated by the career path. He likes what he does and needs some much information about the emerging issues in the health sector and some complications in human health. He has always followed news on health for advice on his career and matters surrounding or opinions and decision choices. Health information is important for him in making decisions on how he will be making better decisions concerning his career path. Getting better ways of how decisions regarding different health issues are among the things he values.
Recently, I was following a program which aired for some time and it focused on Ebola outbreak and issues surrounding this disease and how it has affected many people in West Africa. It is a disease which has been spreading at a very fast rate. At some point, I noted that my brother was following the program keenly and I concluded that the interest he had was because he wanted to develop practices which can be used in controlling the epidemic in other areas of the world. The reason we have different uses of this program is because we are following different career paths.
When I am under stress, I turn to this program less because it is like a documentary. It is more educative than entertaining. It does not help in reducing my stress and I cannot even concentrate on it well when I am under stress.
I have followed the issues of Ebola and in most cases I think the program has been portraying the Africans as less hygienic because it is spread mainly by lack of observation of best hygiene practices.
In the past, I was a lover of animations and cartoons as a young girl. It was important in helping me to identify with others of my age and it gave me a sense of belonging. As a young girl and a teenager, it was an important program because it offered me companionship when I became lonely and also it enabled me to connect with my friends because we had some similar things to discuss. Today in some instances, I find myself resorting to going back to animation when I find myself lonely.
References
Rubin, A. M., & Windahl, S. (1986). The uses and dependency model of mass communication. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 3, 184–199.
Ruggiero, T. E. (2000). Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Mass communication & society, 3(1), 3-37.
Pearce, K. J., (n.d.). Uses, gratification and dependency. Retrieved from: https://teddykw2.files.wordpress.com on: 15th February, 2015
