Blumler and Katz- Uses and gratifications + Coca Cola advert

Uses and gratification theory looks at the motives of the people who use media, as well as asking why the audience is watching television programmes, films or other media products in the way in which they do, e.g. why do we bother to read the newspaper or why do we must keep up to date with favourite soaps.

Theory makes the audience active as it is the audience who are choosing what to consume, as you only watch the films that you want and therefore the audience is in control of their choices and the role of media is just to produce the product. 

The theory also argues that the audience must have social and psychological needs that generate certain expectations about mass media and what they want to consume. 

It also sates that people are motivated by a desire to gratify certain needs; surveillance, personal identity, personal relationships and diversion. 

Surveillance:

The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better if they know what is going on in the world around them, for example we watch news as we feel like it is a reliable source of information and the fact that we know what is going on around the world makes us feel secure.

Therefore we use mass media to be more aware of the world and to gratify desire fore knowledge and security. 

However social media can influence the concept of surveillance as it is common that fake stories are created on social media, therefore giving the audience false sense of security. 

Personal identity:

The consumption of media can help the audience to develop personal identity and position themselves within society.

Forming of personal identity through the use of media can be seen in music videos, as pop stars can become big role models for young people. Therefore if a star does something wrong it usually causes an outcry in society. 

Consuming media allows the audience to directly relate to the product and make the audience feel gratify in a way that it makes them understand the they are sharing their identity and therefore makes them fell more acceptable within society.  

Personal relationships:

Theory sates we can form relationship with the media as well as we can use media to create relationships with others. 

Many people use television as a companionship, for example when we are watching television with other people or by ourselves we can form relationships with the characters on the TV show. 

We could also use the media within relationships, for example we can build relationships with others through media. Having a favourite TV show in common can often be the start of the conversion and it can make talking to strangers much easier.  

Diversion:

Diversion need refers to escapism, as we watch television so we can forget about our own problems for a while and think about something else. 

We can consume media to take our mind off our everyday lives and to distract our self from our own problems. Consuming media allows people to see that people experience that same feelings as we do and want to forget our own problems by focusing on someone else's. 

Surveillance:
This advert allows fulfills the viewers need to be aware of what is happening in the world, as it clearly shows how the world has and is changing. 
Therefore the advert gratifies the viewers need of knowledge and awareness of the world. However theory states that this should bring the viewer sense of security, however I believe that this advert contradicts it, as it shows that society is becoming lazy and less social compared to what it has used to be.

Personal identity:
I believe that this advert is very realteble to most generations, as we all follow more or less the same routine.
Therefore due to the audience being able to relate to this advert, they are more likely to consume it, as well as it will be able to gratify their need to share identity with someone which will suggest to them that they are accepted in society. 

Personal relationships:
Theory stares that we can form relationships with media, for example TV show characters. 
I believe that due to the audience being able to relate to this advert, it is easy for them to form relationship with characters presented in this advert as they can understand the character and relate to their lifestyle. 
I also believe that this advert is encouraging the audience to form personal relationships with each other, as in the adverts today's generation is presented less sociable and therefore the last scenes of the advert encourage the generations to come together and form relationships. 

Diversion:
This advert supports this aspect of the theory, as it allows the audience to relate to the characters in the advert and therefore see that we all lead similar lifestyle and therefore it allows the viewer to take their mind off their own problems and focus on characters in advert.