THE USES GRATIFICATION S MODEL 1 Diversion According

THE USES & GRATIFICATION S MODEL

1. Diversion According to Watson (2008) we often use the media to ‘escape from routines’ or to escape our problems/stresses. Some people may use the media as a way of making up for the lack of something in their own personal lives.

2. Personal Relationships According to Watson, we tend to know more about the characters from soaps than we know about our own neighbours. The mass media can be used to compensate for the lack of community spirit in our lives

3. Personal Identity We may use the media to help us cope with parts of our identity which are unsure for e. g. a teenage boy who suspects he is gay may turn to programmes such as Hollyoaks to seek help in making decisions.

4. Surveillance People may use the media to obtain information about the social world. The recent increase in online blogging and websites where people can add their own knowledge such as ‘Wikepedia’ is a good example of this.

TASK: Using the sheet- identify how the TV shows could meet the basic needs of individuals I. e. Diversion, Personal Relationships, Personal Identity, Surveillance Some TV shows may meet MORE than one of the above needs.

Conclusions Post modern society – traditional sources of identity have declined (Class, gender, age) Individuals are free to construct their own identities by mixing and matching images drawn fro a variety of sources We are what we consume The media are very influential in this process