Career Discourse

Uses and Gratifications Theory

Before we get into just what the Uses and Gratifications Theory is it is important to discuss where it came from. Herta Herzog was considered to be a pioneer in leading the discovery of the first concepts behind the UGT. She conducted a series of interviews with soap opera watchers and discovered three types of gratifications (emotional, wishful thinking, and learning) that were later redefined in respect to new media.

The UGT (Uses and Gratifications Theory) is one of the most important theories that has been discovered in the Media Studies field due to the questions it seeks to answer and the direct phenomena it explains. The UGT states that people or an audience consume media to satisfy a specific need. With this, three questions can be answered: What do people do with media? What are their intentions or motives to use media? What are the potential pros and cons to consuming media for said need?  Included in these three questions are five categories that any reasoning for doing so can fall under. To help better understand this idea I have included a short YouTube video. What is UGT?

As discussed in the video, people seek out media for surveillance, personal identity, relationships and escape. We rely on media for surveillance like the latest news updates, social media to maintain our cyber reputation like snapchat and twitter, we can keep our personal relationships going through social media as well and escape (which is probably the most popular reason) simply by picking up our phone and passing time. We can use it as a diversion from our real life. All of these can be put under the idea of “staying connected” media in general helps us stay connected. Whether it a new book out or reading up on the news online, media allow us to always be a part of a seemingly bigger picture.

                                   

            
Social media is by far the most popular form of media today but we can’t ignore the more traditional forms of media like books, newspapers and film. These are some of the earliest types of media (old media) which have almost become almost eclipsed by the new media or social media which is probably the biggest con that is associated with using it. New media, however, have its own sets of consequences that have proven to be a little more damaging. Cyber-bullying has been almost an epidemic that has swept this nation and cause a nationwide zero tolerance for it in schools. Something that was unheard of just ten years ago. 
          
Today, it is almost impossible to go without consuming media in our daily lives. This may or may not be a result of the rapid growth of technology that has given us the immediate access to media so as far as a reasoning goes as to why, it may be simpler put that we kind of don’t have a choice. We as a society have adopted and rely on technology so much that it has changed the way we use media and how much we are consuming and the result is alarming.

                   

 

                                  

I often wonder just how people have gotten to the level of dependency on media (particularly social media) that we have reached today.  No matter where you go you can pretty much catch someone on their phone, tablet, etc. I also wondered what truly caused the shift from people consuming old media to media and if the result will eventually eradicate old media in the sense that its relevance will slowly cease. The more I have read and learned about UGT I started to think that it may be accessibility, the fact that we can literally have access to any and every piece of information in the palm of our hand. Going to the movies, reading a book or newspaper can pretty much all be done online now without the need to even pay for it in some cases; which may also be a result of the innovation of technology and how we are constantly coming up with some new gadget. When I first came across the UGT I was so intrigued because I just figured that we all have just become addicted to new media and that there was no real causation for it. I always ask but why? The UGT has taught me that there are a number of reasons and causes for why we consume media the way we do; it didn’t seem so obvious as much as it was understandable. As someone who wants to run a social media department I consider a groundbreaking discovery because I can connect with people through the social medial and knowing just which platforms people use for different reasons can help me reach an audience more effectively.

I think companies today are focused on staying relevant, what does their audience want for the future as well as today, with that being said I think that this may explain why most companies are constantly launching new campaigns or rebranding. People get bored easily and if something isn’t eye catching or of use then it isn’t relevant, and I think this is challenging because there must be a constant flow of creativity in order to produce more. An example is that a lot of companies are now turning to and relying on social media to promote their business rather than the traditional business card. I remember growing up and my parents having me and my siblings put together flyers that would be mailed around for their business without even thinking that there would be a much more efficient and popular way of advertising.

Using my understanding of the UGT I feel that I could develop an app or a site for a company with the idea to promote the business in a way that is a little different than your traditional tweet or Facebook post. My thought is to be a little more interactive with people based on why they’re consuming different types of media. I haven’t quite been able to really narrow down what it is exactly I would do or what that artifact would be but I know that my intention is to get people to think about and use media in a more non-traditional way maybe? Like I said it is still definitely in the early brain storming stages but I definitely wouldn’t have been as interested in Media Studies and just how we have innovated our ways of communication in general if it weren’t me discovering the UGT.