The focus of this blog is on the uses and gratifications of media use. The link below explains the uses and gratification theory in detail.
http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/media/ugdetail.html
Basically, the focus is on how and why people use the media.
The following article is from the BBC. It explores the television habits of teenagers. There is a decrease, according to them, that teens are watching less TV. Why are they not watching as much TV? Are teens pursuing other interests or using other media outlets?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4758932.stm
To counter this, the following two articles were found on CBS News and Entertainment Weekly. It focuses on the mass amounts of people watching American Idol and the absolute craze surrounding the show. Idol is everywhere … just something to think about.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/31/ap/entertainment/mainD8N01LRO3.shtml
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20009270,00.html
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20 comments:
(the) Jared Zeidman writes:
I am eager to find out how much of a role the internet plays in the BBC study. Especially for 'young people' I see far more lap top obsessed individuals than big tv watchers. What I think is the most interesting thing however, is that even as the numbers die down, it appears that everyone is watching the same stuff. Its almost a terrible cycle, that we cant stop watching, so even though as a population, our time spent watching tv is going down,we still give big primetime shows the winning numbers by all tuning into the same nonsense.
Long Live William Hung.
Although the first article states that there is a decrease in television watching, I don't feel that people are not getting a daily dose of some sort of media. People are becoming more interested in the internet and what it has to offer. Things such as You Tube could be a reason why televsion isn't being watched. People can get the same things that are on tv only it's on the internet. This allows people to chat with their friends, check email, and still catch up on tv shows. Everything is available in one place. I also think that younger people are into video games and spend a lot of time focusing on beating a game, that they may not sit down and watch tv. As for Idol, I think that people do enjoy watching others make fools of themselves. I watch Idol and I think it's funny when people can't sing. The judges are mean to the contestants and people complain about it yet are still watching. I think that says something about our culture.
Sandra Reichman says:
I am personally shocked by the BBC study; because previously I thought young adults (our generation) spent most of their waking hours watching television. Well supposedly I was wrong.
My concern is, and this may sound somewhat philosophical, is what IS are generation doing? We know they are not running to the closest newsstand to pick up the morning newspaper. (Because readership for that medium has gone way down.) Jared Zeidman said he wondered if the internet has a role in the media absorbency factor? Well I think it is...computing has become extremely easy. (I know I have no study to prove this.) But nowadays, we can access the internet from anywhere, not just our homes. We can go into any cafe or coffee shop and hop online with our laptops.
The thing is what are WE looking at on the internet? Most likely we are not looking at New York Times Online, or CNN. The World Wide Web has SO much to offer that our generation can entertain themselves MANY other ways on the internet, that doesn't include reading the daily news.
As far as the uses and gratifications concept goes, one of the main purposes of the media is slowly fading...and that is to be informed. Well let me take that back…we are informed just about “different things.” Now people are choosing to be informed about the stupid stuff, like who will be the next American Idol, (I'm sorry if I offend any supporters of the show) or the next episode of 24. Granted these are television based media elements, but many people get their American Idol gossip from the internet, because it’s “the thing” to talk about just so they can be a "so called" informed citizen.
I believe it when people say that they are watching less tv. But they are definitly still getting all the media they need. The internet has EVERYTHING and more. Including tv. I need to be up-to-date with a redic amount of pop culture and I dont even watch that much tv. Ive never even seen an epsiode of greys Anatomy but I still know whats going on in the show. and Ive missed Idol last 2 weeks but I still know whats going on there too. So tv viewership down doesnt mean anything to me. People are still getting their gratification from the media, be it internet or even the video games
The Uses and Gratification theory as applied to Mass Media suggests that people experience media outlets in order to fulfill a variety of personal and social needs. Once considered a means of merely transferring information and entertainment to the public, mass media outlets now relay something far more valuable: the very idea of what it means to be normal. The mass media, whether it is the internet, video games, television, books, movies, or anything else, by design disconnects individuals from each other, forcing individuals to search for ways to define themselves. The most convenient method is through the mass media outlets. This explains why two of Mcquail’s principles of gratification (as outlined in the first link) focus on personal and interpersonal development. The need for community interaction and indeed individual development is circumvented by the phenomenon of popular culture, which is created, defined, and disseminated through mass media. Popular culture in turn, serves the needs of advertising/marketing companies and the government (the majority of decision-makers). This may sound like an indictment on mass media as a whole, but it isn’t. It is simply the reality of the world we live in. Although self gratification is a concept inviting addiction and abuse by a mass public seemingly dedicated to being cognitive misers, the most important thing is for people to fight this impulse.
I would now like to directly respond to the article posted from the BBC. The only surprise I found from reading this article was that the percentage of people ages 16 through 24 consistently watching television hadn’t dropped further. The reality is that this is the age demographic most technologically-savvy in the global population. They would, as some bloggers have suggested, be more inclined to interact with mass media (whether it be through the internet, podcasts, or video games), not sit passively in front of it. One interesting variable I would like to through into the mix is how many television programs currently being aired are also available for purchase? Just because television viewer ship is down doesn’t necessarily indicate a declining interest in the messages and ideas the mass media is offering.
Now on to American Idol. The appeal of this show is clear. In a very simple way it fulfills nearly all of McQuail’s gratification criteria. People all around the world get to watch a bunch of their peers make fools of themselves (surveillance) and get ridiculed. As people watch, they are immensely grateful that it’s not them. When the singers succeed, however, the watchers attach themselves to the individual glory of that person (personal identity). By showing such extreme contrasts in terms of talent, Idol arouses an incalculable number of emotions in its viewers, allowing them to forget their own troubles (diversion).
After all this text, it boils down to this: mass media is designed to disengage the individual from the world around him by appealing to the seductive desire of self-gratification. And in a world where unique identities are increasingly hard to formulate on one’s own, the mass media, driven by popular culture and its purveyors, offer an easy and comforting solution.
After reading the article from the BCC, stating that our generation is watching less television, it is easy to see why. Personally, I think the shows that the major networks are offering just aren't that good. In my opinion I feel like they are offering too many pointless reality shows and not enough dramas with real substance. And what happened to those quirky sitcoms??
The growth of the internet and the fact that you can get almost everything that you need to know right at your fingertips is probably another reason we're watching less TV. I'd like to see the results from a study based on how much time we spend on the internet vs watching TV.
Other reasons could be TIVO, downloading episodes by Itunes and YouTube. Also, sites like ABC.com actually let you watch their primetime shows with limited commercials the day after they air. Maybe we aren't viewing these show the second they air but instead using the internet to access them in a different way.
-Katie Cocozza
I don't find it surprising at all that there has been a drop in television viewing among young people. Personally, I watch far less television than I used to but I'm also still consuming media on a regular basis. As many people have already mentioned, there is so much other media out there to look at. Internet media can also often be personalized. Someone can go online and watch their favorite scene from Anchorman without watching the whole movie for the twentieth time. Someone can also go on You Tube and watch their favorite television show with no commercials (aside from the ads on the webpage itself).
However, I also think that another reason for lack of TV watching is the fact that this generation not only has more media options, but also has the ability to be more critical. This generation has consumed so much media and media about media that many TV shows become monotonous and boring. It's pretty hard to really surprise an audience. Outlets like You Tube allow anyone to create media. Many high schools, middle schools, and even some elementary schools now have their own television stations which broadcast locally. The younger generation not only consumes media but also makes it and therefore they are sometimes more apt to criticize it and be skeptical of it. That's not to say that some shows like American Idol (with all it's criticism) can't still capture an audience. However, that seems to be a more difficult feat this day in age.
I agree with much of what has been already said here. I am not surprised at all that people are watching less television. I would also lump myself in to this category, especially because I stopped being cheap and got the DVR package on my cable! As many people have already mentioned, I think the growing Internet has something to do with this. Why sit down, invest 30 minutes in to a television show that only has 15 minutes of content when you can get the entire episode--commerical free-- on YouTube or via your TiVo not too much later than the original air date?
The numbers for the amount of people who watch American Idol are also astonishing -- I think a lot of this has to do with being "with it." I've found at my job a lot of people watch American Idol not because it's necessarily great television, but because everybody is talking about it the next day, you've got to watch it or you're "out of the loop."
Amanda G. Lockwood
I can agree with some of the things that the other students are saying. I can truly understand why the numbers have decreased for teens watching television. There are so many things going on in teenager’s daily lives, that they no longer have time to spend 5 and 6 hours in front of the television. I believe teens are pursuing other interest as well as turning to other media outlets. Society is rapidly changing and we have no other choice but to change as well. The internet and magazines should have been considered in the study because they seem to be a huge way the younger generation is receiving their information, if not the number one media outlet.
Denis McQuail summarized that audiences seek to gratify their needs through “surveillance, personal identity, personal relationships and diversion.” There are so many options on television that teens are more likely to be drawn into a television program that they can directly relate to. In this case, they are less likely to sit around and watch television all day. Instead, they will tune into a specify block of time for about an hour or two at most, in my opinion, to view their preferred programs. The craze around American Idol can also be understood. Society views the harsh treatment of the contestants as entertainment. Everyone is looking for a laugh at the next person’s expense, as long as their feeling and emotions are in no way involved or affected. Will this craze every change? Better yet, what will be the future of television?
I think that where people are more interested in watching something of humor (american idol) than the news, the numbers are still falling. (bbc article)
I myself turned the TV on tonight after a long day at work, going to the gym, and making dinner. I just wanted something to watch that was mindless.
I found myself flipping through all 70 some odd channels that I have, and coming up disappointed all around.
Either it was too serious, or too stupid.
Although it is sad for the networks that the numbers are going down, perhaps people are finally realizing what crap is on TV and they're getting up and doing something productive with themselves.
According to a report released in 2006, British teenagers aren’t the only ones watching less television. Statistics Canada, a research company established by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Association of Canadian Advertisers, reported that teens are watching two hours less television, and that the shows that they are watching are foreign programs. Can they tune into American Idol in Canada?
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/03/31/canadian-tvviewing.html?ref=rss
Perhaps it is that teens are watching less television in terms of hours because they are tuning into certain programs, rather than just wiling the day away in front of the television.
McQuail’s Reader states “children consider television as a source of information on the social environment, or of information that they can use in their social environment.” Teens are using television, among numerous other things, as a means of a topic of conversation. (McQuail’s Reader p. 362)
In response to the BBC article it seems pretty apparent, and agreeable that the media is part of a giant industry of gratification. In addition to the third element of 'uses and gratifications model' that Lundberg and Hulten offer which says the "media compete with other sources of need satisfaction," we've added that the media also has to compete with other media. There are numerous outlets that can account for this: the internet at large, including youtube, e-mail alerts, top news stories of the day accompanying most web engines; sitcoms and series made into DVDs; DVRs and other recordable devices and premium channels that cater specific needs.
If I can satisfy my needs of watching a sitcom on a DVD and finishing my math homework for class in the same time it would take to watch a comparable episode on TV with commercial breaks, I'm most likely going to elect the more gratifying option where I accomplish more.
One question that arises though, is whether things are continuing at a faster pace (accomplishing many tasks via different media) or are we becoming more involved with certain issues (spending time writing/reading/discussing/blogging the latest American Idol episode)?
Successful shows such as American Idol can be seen as 'diversion' but also as 'personal identity.' The gratification and media-to-person interaction exists in both cases. One thing to note is the way young people interact today. Take into account the MySpace and Facebook phenomenon. Links to websites and discussions with friends can be done instantaneously, thus causing our society to differ greatly from those before us.
We should be careful in how we assess the decline in TV reach among young people. Yes, it makes sense that other media are faster and easily accessible: this can be a positive effect as well as negative; but there also exist other forms of gratification aside from the internet. Maybe we should see if the sale of bicycles rose at this same time in Britain.
I believe that the total amount of time people spend watching TV, in this country has decreased, but in recent years there has been the development of these "pop TV sensations", which have become unavoidable throughout nearly all forms of media. Popular TV shows have always existed though, thinking back to shows like the Ed Sullivan show, which were the topic of the conversation the next morning at work or school. So what is different amount these modern super hits like American Idol? One major difference is how these shows are taking over other forms of media, such as radio shows dedication entire sections of their morning shows to popular TV programs such as American Idol (KC101, BLI). I also believe that due to the ever-growing popularity of computers and the internet, many people will spend a great deal of their time either chatting on line, seeking out entertainment (sites like YouTube), or reading (forums, news, blogs, etc., or checking their various network sites (myspace, facebook, etc.) Also, unlike the TV, the computer has become a necessity, a tool which is used for many purposes, most of which are utilized by a user who is multitasking. Users will utilize many of the abilities of a computer at the same time, which keeps them moving at an ultra fast pace, which is starting to seem to keep attention better than the 30 frames per second being flashed at them by a TV. Many people have to spend a certain amount of time on a computer each day in order to keep up on their mail, do their homework, posting this reviews I am currently typing (while talking on skype, aim, and watching stupid acts on YouTube), and keep in touch with clients/friends/relatives. Not to mention that many people now consider keeping up on their friend networking sites to be part of their daily routine. A TV is not interactive, you can not move at your own pace, you can't control it, and you can't multitask using a TV. In fact, most of the people I know are still on their computer while they are watching TV. I believe this is what gives that much more power to these 14+ million viewer shows. People will "slow down" (seems strange when talking about TV) for long enough to watch one, possibly a second show, thereby making these shows that much more popular, because people are forced to choose, which show are they actually going to sit down and watch.
-Derek Varga
From the first article we can see that the BBC numbers are going down, however the numbers shown in the next to articles do not support the fact that less people are watching TV in the US. Millions of viewers are tuning into their favorite shows like 24, Heros, Grey's Anatomy, and American Idol, which seem to keep getting the highest viewing numbers. There could be a few reasons for this: the internet is becoming more and more versatile. People can multitask and even watch episodes while online. Why rush home to catch your favorite show when you are able to watch it at your own convience anytime you want? It might be worth considering that Europeans are beginning to watch more progams like ours or even our very own progams. Is it possible that the BBC is not as gratifing as it used to be for viewers? The internet could be to blame for losing viewers, but from these three atricles it seems to be that the BBC might need to revamp their strategy, their shows, and figure out what the viewers really want to see.
I always enjoy reading articles and stories about people our age (in this case, 16 to 24 yr olds) straying away from television because it confuses all the people older than us. As shocking as it may be, perhaps our generation is not as dumb and television-obsessed as they were so sure we were? But at the same time, maybe we're just finding a new outlet for our television habits. YouTube and other Internet sites allow us to watch shows literally anytime we want, so why should we be committed to watching a show like "Lost" only when it first premieres when we can watch it on our own time? Funny how sponsorship has just been proposed when most of the article is about viewership declining, not increasing. But that's assuming we're using the Internet for other-media purposes. It would've been helpful to hear some direct quotes from people within the 16-24 age group to hear what they've been doing instead of watching the BBC.
I always enjoy reading articles and stories about people our age (in this case, 16 to 24 yr olds) straying away from television because it confuses all the people older than us. As shocking as it may be, perhaps our generation is not as dumb and television-obsessed as they were so sure we were? But at the same time, maybe we're just finding a new outlet for our television habits. YouTube and other Internet sites allow us to watch shows literally anytime we want, so why should we be committed to watching a show like "Lost" only when it first premieres when we can watch it on our own time? Funny how sponsorship has just been proposed when most of the article is about viewership declining, not increasing. But that's assuming we're using the Internet for other-media purposes. It would've been helpful to hear some direct quotes from people within the 16-24 age group to hear what they've been doing instead of watching the BBC.
After reading the BBC article, I did not find myself to be surprised in anyway. Relating the numbers and findings to my own life, and that of my roommate, I rarely have downtown to sit in front of a television and watch a program. BBC is attributing this decrease to Internet use. It is much easier to log onto a website at a convenient time during our hectic lives and gain the information we were looking for. Although I have yet to use it, I know channel 7, allows consumers to log onto the website to watch the popular show Grey’s if they were busy or unavailable to watch it on Thursday nights when it is usually broadcasted. I think the main reason numbers have dropped among young people is because of the business of our lives. I think the Internet makes our lives easier. It is easier to access the information or programs we want at the times that are convenient for us.
Although the article listed on CBS news explains that American Idol attracts more than 32 million viewers, the demographic they are comparing is completely different. The article explains that viewers aged 18-34 were glued into the television. The previous article concentrated on a closer range to our age group, 16-24 year olds. Again, the CBS article mentions, “[…] an indication that families and friends were watching "American Idol" together” this also demonstrates that American Idol appeals to a larger demographic of people, thus the ratings demonstrate more people are watching.
I agree with the idea that American Idol appeals to a broad age group of people. However I do not feel that our age group in particular is lumped into this group. I feel that our age group is just too busy to sit down and watch television at a certain time, instead we turn to the Internet, which is accessible at all times for our constantly busy lives. Even though numbers for viewers maybe on the rise for American Idol and FOX, I do not think those numbers can be attributed to our age group.
In reading this I must say the I agree with what the article talks about; people using media as some sort of an escape to the daily encounters we deal with. It says that we use mass communication to connect or sometimes disconnect ourselves from the real world. I also agree with "it is clear that the need to relax or to kill time can be satisfied by the act of watching television, that the need to feel that one is spending one's time in a worthwhile way may be associated with the act or reading, and the the need to structure one's day may be satisfied merely by having the radio on." It got me to thinking to the times when I watch tv. I very rarley have time to watch the TV but when I do it is usually to kill time because I have nothing better to do than to wait around. We all use newspapers to see what is going on in the world... we all would like to know something about other people in the greater world than just us. Another experience that makes me agree with this, is that in the past when something bad has happened to me I have used a good book or tv as an escape. I get enveloped in a world that nothing else excist but what is on the tv or what is going on inside the book. It is quite great! Everyone uses the media for something different but we could say sometimes for an escape from reality.
Posted by hbuechel at 1:01 PM
I have to agree with the other three students on the BBC study article. It was quite a shock to here that the number of young people watching television has decreased. Perhaps it does have to do with the fact that this study didn't factor in other media outlets in which teens are using-- the Internet, magazines (Cosmo, People), or maybe even, through word of mouth. I believe young people do acquire alot of their information through these means. It is much more interesting and appealing to read a gossipy magazine such as US Weekly while also having the advantage of reading about some current issues. Celebrity talk plus Idol craze news-- which is essentially satisfying us (or "gratifying) our needs. However, by not factoring in all of these other media outlets into the study, it could have been inaccurate-- which explains the confusion on how there possibly can be a television decrease among young viewers??
I am a firm believer that television among the younger generations and older generations is a necessity. The question as to why the public has become obsessed with shows such as Idol or the Simpson's, may have one very simple answer. People like to watch stupidity-- I think people like to watch things that occur in real life such as the making fun of people aspect of Idol or the drunk actions of Homer Simpson. As for uses and gratification, McQuail says audiences seek to gratify through use personal identity, personal relationships, etc. So maybe these shows become personal to them, making them entertaining to watch.
Posted by Pam Vitta at 5:54 PM
Even though the study shows people are watching less tv, I believe they still are recieving the media and news they need. The internet has taken over people watching television because of the generation we are in. The internet has everything everyone needs to know. You are able to watch television shows, get all the news, media and more needed to educate yourself. I feel as if people are getting more of an understanding of what is going on it soceity because of the internet. Some people never watch the news on tv and only watch specific shows. If you go on the internet and to a website like yahoo there are the top stories everyday and it catchers the viewers eye.
The reason people enjoy watching shows like idol is because it is a form of entertainment. If you had a bad day and need something to put you in a good mood why not turn on people embarrassing themselves. It only makes you feel better about yourself.
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