Media Gratification Theory

How does technology take a toll on our minds through the increase of information from media? How does this affect the way we live our everyday lives? Nicholas Carr the writer of The shallows says that he thinks the internet is affecting the way our minds work, and it does in fact affect our everyday life. Throughout his book he uses personal experiences in other studies people have done in the past to support his argument. One of his personal experiences with how the Internet affects us is shown in chapter 1 “ I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print.

As with an addiction the more you are told to stop, the more you are drawn in. Because of viewership, Americans have essentially become “chained to their image-displacement machines like lab animals to dispensers of morphine” (Nelson 308). All over America, there is a demand for power

In conclusion, although many people believe new forms of electronic media are harmful to people’s intelligence, Steven Pinker thinks otherwise. He successfully proves this by bringing up many counterarguments and disproving them as well as having very trustworthy credentials. That being said, he also thinks it is important to practice self control to avoid becoming too distracted with these new forms of media and

Reality Television (TV) has taken the world by storm. Reality TV is used to document and explore certain parts of an individual’s everyday life. America has open its doors to television since the 1950’s. Television programs have shifted from family based shows like the Cosby show to that of catfights between women and m.m.a brawls among men. The use of alcohol abuse is heavy, casual sex scenes and bad language always seems to make it on these shows.

In the article “Getting Real with Reality,” the author, Cynthia M. Frisby emphasizes on the reasons why people are captivated by reality television show. In the beginning of the article, Frisby discusses on the success of reality television show in the United State. She states that the reality shows become very pervasive and capture a large number of viewers due to the fact that people like to relate their lives to others. Frisby believes that the reality TV show gives viewers gratification, and the social comparison theory is the reason. She explains that people like to make comparison with contestants on the shows for different reasons such as related ability, emulate behaviors, determine norms and lift spirits about life, etc.

The article “Mind Over Mass Media”, written by Professor Steven Pinker, describes the impact of media on human lives and brains. Pinker illustrates the benefits people gain from using the worlds quickly increasing technology and media. Pinker suggests that today’s technology such as, PowerPoint, Google, and other forms of social media can actually enhance and bring more intelligence to the mind, instead of being detrimental. Critics believe that the many different forms of media can lower intelligence. However, Pinker declares that scientists are using all of this technology everyone else is using, and are still discovering new things.

Presently, the meaning of entertainment in Reality TV is watching an unscripted shows or reality show, and that unscripted foolishness show somehow make millions of dollars (Preston, 2012). According to Daniel Craig (Preston, 2012), one of the most famous actors, ‘You see that and you think, “What, you mean all I have to do is behave like a idiot on television and then you’ll pay me millions?” This is presented in public and plentiful audiences will understand this

Thus, the audience could know that the searching of the sense of belonging is embodied through many aspects of the TV

People can find themselves drawn to this craze due to effect of inequality they endure or the desire to establish themselves as greater in the social order. Extremely few people will experience the quality of life reality stars (like the Kardashians) have so tv allows people to see how the other half lives or what they can do to further themselves socially. Product placement and promotion is common on reality television and people feel the urge to buy these products because they are associated with wealth/ high social standing. The chance to appear on a reality program itself is near impossible for the majority of the population to achieve because the high demand from people but the minuscule opportunities offered by networking programs. Overall these exhibitions create conflict amongst people in the effort to fight for

You could argue that reality television started life with the first fly-on-the-wall documentaries in the early 1970s; in Britain the pioneering example was Paul Watson’s 12-part observational documentary The Family (which aired on the BBC in 1974), although it was itself modelled on Craig Gilbert’s US series An American Family (1972). At the time, the fly-on-the-wall format felt thrillingly fresh and intimate. Over the years, however, viewers grew familiar with it and thrill-seeking TV producers realised they needed a twist. Enter Big Brother, and hundreds of shows like it, which placed its subjects in a heightened version of reality by cooping them up in a confined space and then poking them with a metaphorical (and in some cases literal) sticks.

Were you aware that “reality TV episodes have increased to 57% of all television shows that can be found on your screens”? Television is undoubtedly a medium of telecommunication used by countless number of people. Most of the world’s population uses a great deal of electronic devices and upgrade when new models appear. However, according to a TNS consultancy report, people are continuing to stay loyal to their television every single day. This would obviously mean that a majority of those people watch daily television shows that include ‘Reality TV’.

According to Baran (2012) mass communication can be defined as “the process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences.” This essay aims to discuss the degree to which we are shaped by our interaction with the media. In order to achieve the aforementioned aim of this essay I will focus on the following: limited-effects theory, two-step flow theory, attitude change theory and agenda setting. The limited effects theory sets out that media influence is based on individual and social characteristics.

Just a decade ago, reality television programmes were considered a fad. Today, they have exploded into a phenomenon that takes over primetime television all over the world. Since the beginning, reality television is known for the bad reputation and it’s criticisms. Many condemn it for being cheap, sensationalised and promoting immoral values and lifestyles. However, these criticisms over-generalise the entire genre of television based on a small number of lousy shows.

Media are platforms of mass communication that can be categorized as either new of traditional media, with new media being forms of communication that make use of technologies such as the Internet, and traditional media being more conventional forms of media such as newspapers. Media, primarily new media, is getting more popular and influential, especially in today’s day and age since we are exposed to it a lot more than in the past and also since media is more easily accessible now. The media can shape our behaviours, perceptions and opinions, and it is important to know how people are influenced and impacted by it. The media can influence someone’s perception of social reality, or perceptions of beauty or even influence people’s behaviours and habits and therefore, the media does shape who we are. One way that the media can shape who we are is by influencing our perception of social reality.

(Anaeto et al, 2008, p. 71). Uses and Gratification theory has also been used in models that attempt to identify how people choose among media. A good example is Lacy (2000), who suggested that five communication needs (surveillance, diversion, socio-cultural, interaction, decision making and self-understanding) combine with other variables like quantity of news and media featured such as cost to determine how much time people will spend with various