Uses and gratifications theory

The uses and gratifications theory is a concept in mass media communications. It refers to the idea that media users—for example, those who watch television and movies, listen to radio, and read newspapers and magazines—are not passive consumers, but are active participants in the communication process. The theory proposes that media users will choose the format and source of media that best suits them individually, and that they can make alternate choices if they want to use another platform. It also suggests that people choose different media outlets for different purposes. The uses and gratifications theory assumes that users have full control over their media choices. This theory led to the development of the dependency theory, which states that people develop a dependency on the media sources that meet more of their needs.

Background

Researchers have been interested in the interconnectivity between media and consumers since at least the 1920s. During the latter part of that decade, the US Motion Picture Research Council conducted the Payne Fund Studies to determine how younger people were affected by seeing movies. The three-decade-old industry had finally developed to the point where movies were more than a few minutes long and included sound; therefore, they could begin to have some effect on viewers. These studies were primarily to help the industry learn how to promote itself.

In the 1940s, as radio broadcasts also claimed some of media users' attention, more studies were conducted as researchers questioned how and why consumers decided which media to use. These studies focused on categorizing users based on the types of media they chose. However, they are considered the earliest efforts at forming a uses and gratifications theory.

Over the next few decades, as television was added to the mix of available media competing for attention, more surveys were implemented. Researchers were increasingly interested in the social and psychological factors behind media use. They also began to look at differences in media use between various races and to focus on the media habits of children and teens. Studies during the 1950s through the 1970s often categorized people by the reasons they used media, such as to gather information, for relaxation, and for company.

All of these studies led up to the development of the uses and gratifications theory in 1974. The concept was first introduced by Elihu Katz, an American Israeli communications scientist and sociologist. In 1973, Katz proposed that media users are the ones in control of the interaction between the public and media outlets. He thought that people chose the media they used based on what best suited them and that the media platforms themselves had no influence on this.

Two colleagues of Katz, Polish-born Michael Gurevitch and American Jay Blumler also promoted this theory. It was considered a rather radical idea; many in the 1970s thought that the media controlled what people saw and heard, and that people were passive consumers of whatever the media provided. The uses and gratifications theory was expanded to state that people use a specific medium because it gratifies one of several needs that the individuals have, and that these needs are driven by the users, not the medium.

Overview

In their book The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research (1974), Katz and Blumler emphasized the active role media users play in the relationship with the media. They said people have goals when they turn to any form of media, and that they choose the medium that is best able to address this goal. Media consumers are aware that each type of media can meet their needs in different ways and intentionally choose a media source so that their needs are met. This is the case whether the need is for information, relaxation, companionship, or some other purpose.

The researchers further proposed that because the consumer is aware of the uses for media and can consciously choose between the available sources of media, the media user is in charge of the interaction. They posited that people are not influenced by the media in making these choices. Because of this, people take advantage of media, and media outlets rarely, if ever, are able to take advantage of their consumers.

Another point made by Katz and Blumler in the 1974 book was that since the users were in control, the media sources were required to compete for the attention of users. As a result, media continually create new sources and new content in an attempt to meet the needs of as many people as possible. Media outlets learn about what consumers need and what will satisfy those needs from the users themselves. Katz and Blumler also suggested that the only people qualified to judge the media are the users; they make their judgements based on what types and forms of media they choose for reading, listening, and watching.

Just a few years after the uses and gratifications theory was proposed, another mass communication theory was proposed that built on the earlier theory. American communication scholars and professors Melvin DeFleur and Sandra Ball-Rokeach proposed the dependency theory in 1976. This theory states that people become more dependent on a media form that meets more of their needs than on one that meets just a few. For instance, if a person finds a certain television newscast to have good news coverage, a more trustworthy weather forecast, and interesting newscasters, that person is more likely to tune into that station than to one that only has good news or only has a good weather forecast. This dependency can have an effect on the users' choices, encouraging them to choose one source over another.

Some experts do not consider the uses and gratifications theory to be completely valid. They argue that it does not adequately address the effect that consuming the same media regularly can have on a person. For instance, the widespread use of the Internet and social media that has become prevalent in the twenty-first century can lead to a person being exposed to "facts" that are not validated by any expert, since the Internet makes it possible for anyone to share nearly anything at any time. Many experts suggest that while media can influence people, users do still maintain some control over their choices; they suggest that neither side has full control over media consumption decisions.

Bibliography

Ifinedo, Princely. "Applying Uses and Gratifications Theory and Social Influence Processes to Understand Students' Pervasive Adoption of Social Networking Sites: Perspectives from the Americas." International Journal of Information Management, vol. 36, no. 2, Apr. 2016, pp. 192–206.

Rossi, E. "Uses & Gratifications/Dependency Theory." California State University Fresno, 2002, zimmer.csufresno.edu/~johnca/spch100/7-4-uses.htm. Accessed 3 May 2017.

Ruggiero, Thomas E. "Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century." Mass Communication and Society, vol. 3, no. 1, Feb. 2000, pp. 3–37.

Rui, Jian Raymond, and Michael A. Stefanone. "The Desire for Fame: An Extension of Uses and Gratifications Theory." Communication Studies, 4 Apr. 2016, www.buffalo.edu/content/dam/cas/communication/files/Stefanone/rui%202016.pdf. Accessed 3 May 2017.

"Uses and Gratifications Approach." University of Twente, www.utwente.nl/en/bms/communication-theories/sorted-by-cluster/Mass%20Media/Uses‗and‗Gratifications‗Approach/. Accessed 3 May 2017.

"Uses and Gratification Theory." BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zg24frd/revision/3. Accessed 3 May 2017.

"Uses and Gratifications Theory." University of Kentucky, 2001, www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/mass/uses.htm. Accessed 3 May 2017.

Weiyan, Liu. "A Historical Overview of Uses and Gratifications Theory." Cross-Cultural Communication, CSCanada, vol. 11, no. 9, 2015, pp. 71–8, cscanada.net/index.php/ccc/article/download/7415/8421. Accessed 3 May 2017.