Uses and Gratifications

 As there is such a wide range of media people can use it for many different reasons.This theory looks at the reasons what people do with the media and why they do it rather than what the media does to the people. It suggests that people use media to fulfil gratifications  for example to acquire knowledge.Media compete against each other for customers gratification as a result of people wanting to fulfil their gratifications.
People look at five different types of gratification, which include: cognitive, affective, personal integrative, social integrative and tension release.
Cognitive needs:
This means that people use the media to acquire information or knowledge. This need can be fulfilled very easily as a result of being able to browse a vast variety of subjects through the use of search engines.
Affective needs:
This is when people use the media as a way of satisfying their emotional needs. For example watching a specific genre of television to fit your mood eg. watching a sad movie and crying.
Personal Integrative needs:
This need is related to self-esteem meaning that people use media as a way of making themselves feel better and can also assure them of their place in society.
Social integrative needs:
This is basically the way that friends and family socialise through the use of social media sites They use site like Facebook to talk to there friends without having to leave the house. Also they use media as a subject of conversation. They talk about TV shows that they both may like to find common ground or maybe introduce each other to new TV shows.
Tension release:
Some people use media as a way of escaping or taking their mind away from reality. E.g. some people may relax by watching an episode of their favourite TV show or listening to their favourite song. This may be why reality shows are becoming increasingly popular because show you how other people are living and let you forget for a moment about other things that are going on.