The uses and gratifications theory

The uses and gratifications theory talks about the reasons why people choose certain media and not others. As the name itself indicates, this theory suggests that it is the different uses that are given to information and the various gratifications that it provides, which determine the consumption of a certain audience.

The first outlines of the theory of uses and gratifications appeared in the 1930s., when the mass media began to be part of the daily lives of most people. First it was radio, then television and more recently digital media.

The point is that, today, there are still people who prefer the radio, having other means of communication at their disposal; It also happens with those who opt for television or the Internet. The uses and gratifications theory says that It does not matter how powerful a medium is, since if it does not satisfy the needs of a certain user, it will have no impact in this.

Some history on the uses and gratifications theory

At the beginning of media history receptors were believed to be completely passive. In other words, it was thought that people received information or entertainment and simply absorbed it without offering any further response or resistance to what they were informed or led to believe.

Towards the 1940s, when television was already gaining importance, communication theorists began to notice that there were differentiated responses among viewers to the options offered to them. Not everyone saw or heard the same thing, nor did it have the same impact on everyone.

By the 1960s, the theory of uses and gratifications began to take shape. Its pioneers were researchers such as Elihu Katz, Jay G. Blumler and Michael Gurevitch, who carried out empirical studies on the matter and They corroborated that “the mass” to which the information was directed was not as homogeneous as was thought. They found that a medium was successful to the extent that it responded to the practical and psychological needs of its audience.

The principles of uses and gratifications theory

Lundberg and Hulten developed a set of principles that began to shape the theory of uses and gratifications. In practice, they made a cross between the results of empirical research and Maslow’s pyramid of needs. The product was five principles, namely:

Audiences are activenot passive. They respond differently to what the media offers them.Each audience member decides the relevance of the medium. Each “receiver” decides whether the medium offers the uses and gratifications that he or she particularly requires.The media compete. The only source of satisfaction of needs is not the media, nor a particular media. Therefore, there is competition for people’s attention.People are aware of what they are looking for. Maybe you don’t know why, but you do know what you want when looking for one medium and not another. The cultural meaning of the media is determined by the public.

Types of rewards and needs

Based on the basic approaches of the uses and gratifications theory, McQuail, Blumer and Brown suggested some categories for classify the gratifications that audiences obtained from the media.

Thus, they managed to explain more clearly how the social and psychological aspects They provide greater consistency when it comes to understanding why people consume certain types of content and how they do so.

In this case, the types of rewards are:

Fun: which refers to the escape from routine and problems; as well as the release of emotional tensions.Relationships: This type of gratification refers to substitute company, social utility, and useful information in social conversations.Personal identity or individual psychology: which includes personal reference, the exploration of reality and the reinforcement of values. This explains why people prefer content that is related to their preferences and belief system.Surveillance of the environment: It involves knowing information about things that could affect a person, or help them do something.

For their part, Katz, Gurevitch and Hass maintained that Individuals choose media based on their needs.; which were grouped into the following categories:

Cognitive needs: refer to the acquisition of information, knowledge and understanding.Affective needs: They include emotional, pleasurable and aesthetic experiences.Personal integration needs: they cover the strengthening of credibility, trust, stability and status.Social integration needs: They are those that allow us to strengthen personal relationships.

In each person, each group of needs has a different value; So he ends up looking for a means of communication that allows him to satisfy what he considers most important, in accordance with his personal reality.

Modern Applications of Uses and Gratifications Theory

The arrival of the Internet and social networks represents important changes in this theory. Well, For the first time, interactivity between people and sources of information is now two-way and can occur in real time.

At the same time, the development of the internet, social networks and digital media turned people into creators and disseminators of information, entertainment, etc. Hence These new technological advances have provided other resources for people to seek gratification.

However, Thomas Ruggiero, a communications professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, argues that new forms of communication require analysis of new uses and gratifications that may occur; such as interactivity, hypertextuality, asynchronous communication and demassification.

Theory of uses and gratifications in social networks

For her part, the journalist Fátima Martínez, states in her article that, initially, the theory of uses and gratifications applied to the mass media was summarized in the following characteristics:

Provide relaxation, Stimulate the imagination and Promote social relationships.

But, With the arrival of social networks, these gratifications are expanded by providing:

Trust: Feeling the freedom to share personal information; from our moods, relationships, tastes, activities and interests.Company: since one of the effects of social networks is to mitigate loneliness, through immediate feedback.Happiness: since users put aside their sadness so that the social network becomes a network of entertainment and fun.Fun: precisely social networks seek to be a source of entertainment.Surveillance: which refers to being up to date with information and staying updated.

Although, It is pertinent to keep in mind that networks cannot provide all of that. However, many times they do create the illusion of contributing it.

Now, after this brief exposition of the theory of uses and gratifications, a good question would be: what are you looking for in each means of communication with which you come into contact?

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