The theory of uses and gratifications is about, “how people use television, the Internet, and other media to fulfill a variety of needs and gratify their interests and desires,” according to Exploring Communication Theory by Floyd, et. all (2022) (p.328). This theory shifts the attention away from the media itself and focuses it on the details of how and why people consume that media. Of which there are many reasons, such as the biggest two of escapism and excitement. Overall, this theory argues that media can and should be looked at in social and cultural contexts from the users’ point of view. The part of the communication model that this focuses most on is the sender, regarding how they might decode a message through the understanding of their needs and how they fulfill them under the lens of the theory.
The Uses and Gratifications theory has five key concepts, five assumptions, and four claims according to Exploring Communication Theory by Floyd, et. all (2022) that all help to explain its importance. These key concepts start with use as the consumption of media for different purposes. Secondly, gratifications as the assumed qualities of media that satisfy social and psychological needs. Thirdly, active audience as the people that seek media to fulfill needs. Fourthly, audience need as the culmination of cognitive orientation, diversion, plus personal identity. Lastly interactivity as the people’s control and ability over media engagement. The assumptions of this theory consist of audience members acting towards goal achievement and the linking of media choices with gratification, media competes for need fulfillment, individuals can identify their interests and motives, and that different media is influenced by a multitude of factors. Each of the theory’s claims revolves around and proves the validity of the central message that “people seek out and use media to gratify numerous individual, community, and social needs” (p.334).
The consumption of music is one of the many prevailing topics of interest in today’s music culture. What fuels this consumption of music? Why can it happen so obsessively? Is it safe on a more widespread scale? These are all questions that can be answered more in depth through the application of this theory. Through the aforementioned textbook we know that people use the consumption of music as a form of escapism, though whether this is a problem is dependent upon who you may ask. Some of the negative qualities you can find of escapism would be developing an unhealthy dependency, an impaired ability to healthily manage emotions, and an increase in social isolation. Yet according to research engineer Dorsa Rohani in the study Musical Escapism there is evidence that also suggests, “music can modulate human emotions and behavior by influencing dopaminergic transmission, serving as a tool for managing stress, enhancing mood, and potentially aiding in therapeutic contexts for mental health disorders” (p.5). This evidence is based on neurochemical studies that have found correlations between connectivity analysis and motivational responses from the brain while listening to music. Applying the uses and gratifications theory to this information leaves the topic with an overwhelmingly more positive way to understand this consumption of music. That culmination heavily outweighs the negative aspects and concerns people have, such as those previously mentioned. So, what would fuel this consumption would be the key concept of gratification from the theory that seeks to fulfill a plethora of needs. Based on the information provided from the study above we can also know that this consumption is not only safe on a larger scale but is also beneficial. This theory already revolves quite a bit around why people consume media such as music, but it more specifically explains why they might do so excessively as a result of the assumption of audience need. This assumption details the many reasons people consume media that may then serve as contributing or competing forces to do so in excess.
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