Theory - Uses & Gratifications

Blumler and Katz (1974) constructed and developed the 'Uses and Gratifications' Theory. The overall, basic idea behind 'Uses and Gratifications' is that people use the media in order to fulfill specific gratifications. This theory contradicts and therefore opposes the 'Hypodermic Needle Theory', which claims that the audience has no control over how the media influences them and that they just consume all forms of media naturally. However, 'Uses and Gratifications' argues that people are not just helpless victims (like the 'Hypodermic Needle Theory' states), but instead use the media to fulfill their own needs. These needs serve as motivations for using media in the first place.

The theory suggest that audiences USE media texts for  these various reasons:

Diversion  - To escape from everyday life.
Personal Relationships - Use the media text for emotional and other interaction.
Personal Identity - Create their own identity from characters in media text.
Surveillance - To gain information and knowledge.
Entertainment - For relaxation, enjoyment and emotional release purposes.

Theory - Hypodermic Needle

The Hypodermic Needle Theory implies that mass media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect upon its audiences. The message for the media is directly received and fully accepted by the user. Within this theory, the audience is considered to be passive entities that are left at the mercy of the mass media. It essentially suggests that the mass media 'injects' its messages directly into the passive audience who are immediately affected by these messages, which were designed with the aim to trigger a desired response. It also suggests that the mass media is a dangerous means of communicating because the audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message. However, this theory has little place in contemporary analysis of audience reception, although it is possible for audience to be influenced by what they see, these instances are rare and don't carry a great deal of momentum. Also, the theory is argued to be too simplistic as changes to attitudes and beliefs are not always observable or easily measured. Different audience interpret media differently.

VEVO - Case Study