The Theory of Uses and Gratifications: what it is and what it explains about society

The uses and gratifications theory proposes that people use the media and consume audiovisual products to satisfy specific wants and needs.

Contrary to other media theories, this theory sees users as agents assets that have control over their media consumption and not as mere passive recipients of messages and products.

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What does the uses and gratifications theory state?

The uses and gratifications theory, abbreviated as TUG, seeks to understand mass communication through consideration of why people use the media. His focus is on the question "what effect do people have on the media?", not the other way around.

One of the main threads of study of this theory is to identify why people choose to use certain media or consume certain products. It focuses on analyzing the deliberate choices of users to satisfy needs such as escaping, interacting with other people, having fun or relaxing.

The uses and gratifications theory then establishes that audiovisual products have to satisfy psychological desires and needs of consumers

. Even if a means of communication is not powerful, it becomes important to someone if it fulfills one of these specific functions.

By comparison with other media theories, uses and gratifications theory sees media consumers as communication as active agents who have control over their audiovisual consumption, not as simple passive receivers of what is offers them. In a nutshell, the uses and gratifications theory focuses on the needs and wants of the consumer rather than the means or messages provided to them.

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Origins of uses and gratifications theory

Studies on the effects of the media on people began during the 1930s, with mass communication. However, not enough evidence was collected from these investigations to determine the real effects of the mass media on people. Although, these are considered the origin of the uses and gratifications theory.

Before the 1940s, people were not considered an active public capable of selecting their preferred messages and content. Instead, they were seen as a passive mass that was part of a homogeneous whole. The media audience was thought to be passive and lifeless.

Consumers were seen as something inert, that is, they did not respond or react to the content. According to this view, people expect the media to provide them with all the information they need so that they can effectively interact in context. That is, it was expected that the audience would act in the same way that the information they received indicated.

During the 1940s there was a change in thinking, the public began to be seen from a more social, psychological and individual, since it was observed that people were able to select information and content based on their preferences.

Some theses and studies established two of the basic ideas of the theory of uses and gratifications: audiences can use the same media for different purposes, despite considering similar and homogeneous groups, and no matter how large or powerful a half; it will not affect anyone who does not find your information useful in its psychological and social context.

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Principles and objectives of the theory of uses and gratifications

After its beginnings together with the investigation of mass communication. Various authors such as Elihu Katz, Jay G. Blumler and Michael Gurevitch played important roles in solidifying uses and gratifications theory in the 1960s.

Consumers as human beings need to escape, interact with other people, have fun, relax... This prompts them to engage with the media to meet these psychological and social needs. Consequently, it can be said that the mass media are used in response to specific individual needs. Based on these notions, the uses and gratifications theory specifies a set of assumptions about media consumption:

1. Audiences are active

As we have seen, during the 1960s, the idea that the public did not function as a homogeneous mass took hold. He was able to select the messages and content he wanted. The media began to see their consumers in a more individual, social and psychological way.

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2. Each consumer decides the relevance of the medium

It stops thinking that it is the media that determine what the viewer sees; instead, it is the viewers who decide for themselves based on their interests, values ​​and needs. Ultimately, the media provides what the audience wants to see, they are the viewers who actively choose to pay attention to the content.

3. People are aware of what they are looking for

The uses and gratifications theory questions the relationship between stimulus and response. He proposes that it is the receivers themselves who decide on the interpretation of the content —not only the stimuli— when the communicative processes begin. That is, consumers are only affected by stimuli if they want to be affected by them.

4. Media compete with each other

Ultimately, the media compete with sources other than each other to attract public attention. They do it by trying to satisfy the needs of the public. People consider their past experiences with the media when making decisions about how to spend their time. This consideration takes place on a deeper level than simply remembering what you did yesterday. It involves an assessment of your environment and understanding how the content has affected you.

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Types of rewards and needs

Part of uses and gratification theory research focuses on understanding the ability of media to offer rewards. This has led to the creation of various typologies that classify media rewards into a small set of classes. These psychological and social needs include:

• Need for emotional release: the media can help us escape from routine and avoid problems, as well as simply have fun.
• Interpersonal need: we can use the contents as a substitute for company or as a source of useful information in future conversations.
• Need for personal identity: the media can strengthen certain beliefs or values, and also allow us to explore reality.
• Need for vigilance: the media provide useful information about things that can affect us.

Although recent research into uses and gratification theory suggests that new media offer gratification similar to that of older media, some authors cautioned that studies of the uses and gratifications of new media should considered separately: new media also provide unique benefits than older forms of media, these fall into four categories:

• Modality-Based Rewards: Currently, content can be served in a variety of modalities, including audio, video, text, or a mix of these. If we think about virtual reality, this contributes to the need for reality.
• Bonuses based on content creation: People these days have also become content creators. This can satisfy interpersonal needs with the creation of communities or status.
• Rewards based on interactivity: content is no longer static, this means that you can interact with it and have an impact. This can satisfy the need for control.
• Browsability-Based Gratuities: Browsing-Based Experiences in New Media satisfy needs such as the added fun of moving through the spaces and, if it is a game, for the levels. This includes overcoming them.

Theory of uses and gratifications and social networks

According to the article by Fátima Martínez, professor of journalism: the theory of the uses and gratifications of the media has been expanded by the use of social networks. This is because social networks allow people to interact with each other and provide other benefits, in addition to relaxation, stimulation of the imagination and the promotion of social relations, considered according to her analysis the classic benefits of the media communication. Social networks also provide

• Trust.
• Company
• Happiness
• Fun
• Surveillance
• Social relationships

As we can see, this series of needs was already included in classical theory. Although, it is true that social networks have greatly enhanced them. Also, we have to consider that these benefits are not real. Social networks, in many cases, create a false illusion, for example, understanding as friends people with whom we have almost no interaction.

Criticism of the uses and gratifications theory

The uses and gratifications theory has been criticized for various reasons, although it remains widely used in media research.

Many of their conclusions for considering active audiences are based on self-reported data from consumers themselves. This type of data is not always accurate or reliable.

Also, it's important to note that people don't have access to all of the media options currently available. This criticism is even more evident today, as there are more options than ever. However, people are limited to choosing based on their access to various options and not based on their needs.

Finally, as we have seen, the theory focuses on the audience and does not study the messages of the media and how they can affect people.