Uses and Gratifications Theory

The 'Uses and Gratifications' Theory suggests there are certain reasons why an audience responds to different media texts.

There are 4 categories or reasons in which the audience respond to within a media text. These include:

* Entertainment and diversion

This media text provides escapism for the audience from their day-to-day life.

* Information and education

This media piece is informative and provides information for the audience to enable them to become educated.

* Social interaction

This media text enforces an interaction from the audience and enables them to have a reaction to its content in order for a wider audience t react to it too.

*Personal identity

This media text introduces a more personal approach towards the audience as they will find ways in which they can relate to the experiences occurring.

Uses and Gratifications Theory within media texts

Axel F -Crazy Frog

Entertainment and Diversion examples

Aha - Take On Me

These music videos are examples of 'Entertainment and diversion' due to them being more entertaining than informative.

The music videos generally have no storyline or a simple open narrative as the music videos purpose isn't for a narrative, it is to entertain the audience. The song is usually upbeat and contains easier lyrics or a chorus that the audience would know by the end of the song as this encourages them to sing along.

Both Eminem's - Without Me and Axel F's - Crazy Frog do not have a specific narrative but Aha's - Take on Me does and so this can be seen as an example of both Entertainment and diversion but also Person Identity as some audiences may relate to the storyline being portrayed.

Eminem - Without Me

Information and Education examples

French Montana - Unforgettable ft. Swae Lee

French Montana's Unforgettable is an example of information and education due to the singers being in Uganda and sharing an insight into their life. They also have children from Uganda dancing in their video to enforce this too.

Michael Jackson

Earth Song

Black and White

They don't care about us (Prison Version)

They don't care about us (Brazil Version)

Michael Jackson's music is a huge platform for discussing world issues and so his music explores both information and education examples but also Social interaction. This is because he has shown the issues in Brazil and prison with the song 'They don't care about us' and he has also discussed Racism in the song ' Black and White'. In another of his songs 'Earth Song' he discusses the issues Earth faces and so this enables audiences to talk about the issues together. In his songs he uses the word 'You' frequently to show that these issues matter to the audience personally and so he enforces the social interaction within his music.

Personal Identity

In Lady Gaga's song 'Born This Way', she sings about how everyone is different and unique and we should celebrate this. Born This Way also talks about the LGBT community and so this may also be an example of an information and education music video too. She talks about self-worth and empowerment of the minorities such as the LGBT community.

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Logic - 1-800-273-8255' With Alessia Cara & Khalid

Logic's song '1-800-273-8255' is an anthem for suicide prevention and so this could be an example of information and eduction but it is also an example of personal identity as depression is a personal topic to discuss.

Logic has spoken previously about the topic his song relates to, he has said the song begins with someone 'talking on a hotline about ending their life'. As this is an extremely upsetting song and introduces deep conatations for the audience.