In today’s society we are
surrounded by so many different types of media. On one device we can watch
television, surf the web, listen to music, and read a newspaper. But even
though all these different types of media are available to us in a matter of
seconds, it doesn’t mean that we always use them. According to Baran and Davis,
“we all make decisions about which content we choose based on our expectations
of having some need met” (Baran and Davis 246). Each time we use media we are
expecting something out of it. We can use media for things such as finding out information,
making decisions, or being entertained. Sometimes we don’t even know what
gratification we are obtaining from media but I don’t think we would be using media
if we weren’t getting anything out of it.
Think
about how many times in a day you hear one of these questions: Did you see what
happened on (enter TV show) last night? Did year hear about this latest celebrity
scandal? Did you see the game last night? These are all common question that we
all hear on a daily basis and without the media we wouldn’t be able to answer
them. According to Celia Von Feiltzen, television viewing “has become a
well-established habit, and that the programmes provide topics of conversation”
(Feiltzen 159). Television, along with other media, have become a tool for socializing
in our society. People can bond over the fact that they watch the same
Television show, or like the same sports teams. These are interests that can
start new relationships, and it is all due to us using the media as
conversation starter.
In an
article from CNN called “Why Are We Still Watching Award Shows?” the author
talks about how we use television as a way to communicate with each other. It
is common knowledge that towards the middle of January and continuing into February
award season is on everyone’s minds. People are exciting to see what dress
their favorite actress is wearing, or placing bets on who is going to win. According
to Stephanie Goldberg, watching award shows is “a wonderful opportunity to vent
about Hollywood and celebrity culture while also participating in it”(Goldberg
1). After a big event like an award show, or the Superbowl, everyone talks
about it because they feel like they are a part of it. You can’t escape people’s
reactions, and social media as only added to that. According to the article, “the social media aspect also pressures viewers to watch
the shows live. Nobody wants to be the guy tweeting about Ricky Gervais'
monologue halfway through the Golden Globes” (Goldberg 1).
We are now using media as a way to stay connected
with one another because we feel more accepted by others when we know what is
going on. Imagine being without media for a week, and then get thrown back into
a social setting. Are you going to know what everyone is talking about? Maybe some
big scandal broke during that week, do you think you would know about it? The
answer is most likely not. Just like Goldberg said in her article, even though
we might not watch an event like the Golden Globes, we will be aware of what is
happening because of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter. People can
tweet about a major event in a matter of seconds and it can spread like wildfire.
But without using media we will be disconnected from our social world. We all
want to feel included by society and we have now learned to use media in order accomplish
that.
Feilitzen, Celia Von.
"Needs as an Explanatory Factor of Television Viewing." McQuail's Reader in Mass
Communication Theory. Ed. Denis McQuail. Thousand Oaks: SAGE
Publications, 2002. 357-363
Baran,
Stanley J. and Dennis K. Davis, eds. Mass
Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment and Future, 6th ed.
(Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012).
Goldberg,
Stephanie. "Why Are We Still Watching Awards Shows?” CNN. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/showbiz/tv/awards-shows-still-watching/index.html>.
In response to Kristyn’s post I want to first comment on her statement about the prevalence of media in today’s society. As Kristyne pointed out, people are constantly inundated with and surrounded by different types of media. Media not only serves to inform people of newsworthy events and to keep people updated on current issues but it has grown and evolved into so much more. People turn to and rely on even more forms of media for entertainment and even communication purposes. The old-fashioned hand written note just doesn’t cut it these days and why is that? It’s because we are presented with so many other forms of communication- methods that will get the job done in a more timely and efficient manner. As Wilbur Schramm pointed out in his observations of the uses and gratification of media, the fraction of selection method, in which you compare the expectation of reward to the effort it requires is what “determines which offerings of mass communication will be selected by a given individual.” (245) Picking up a pencil and writing a letter to a family or friend would enable one to communicate and to keep in touch, but why bother exerting such effort when you could easily find him/her on Facebook and maintain contact that way? Media is vastly growing in its capabilities, its efficiency, its reliability, and its popularity- making it very difficult not to embrace it and participate in its various uses.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Celia Von Feilitzen, “The individual is selective and chooses (more or less consciously) mass medium and mass medium content on the basis of the functions, or the meaning, which the medium and the content have for him, and the availability of functional alternatives (356). What I essentially took away from this is that the individual is ultimately responsible for the media he or she chooses to utilize however that choice can be the outcome of many many other things. The individual is just a single factor.
Why does one choose Facebook over Myspace, Fox over CNN, or Ipad over desktop? It is all related to individual preference and what that individual expects to get out of his/her particular choice. Perhaps it their choice has to do with familiarity or ratings, or even something as trivial as the visual impact of one over the other. Although this is all true I think it is very difficult and quite possibly even impossible to pinpoint one specific factor because all elements of the situation need to be taken into account. It is a combination of the individual preference, environmental factors, peer pressure etc. I think it is especially important to consider the impact of social situations. As Kristyin mentions we are so often faced with the opportunity to bond over different things in media that it is really hard not to associate with it. Kristyn made a good point in saying, “Television, along with other media, have become a tool for socializing in our society. People can bond over the fact that they watch the same Television show, or like the same sports teams. These are interests that can start new relationships, and it is all due to us using the media as conversation starter” (Suppe) This statement does a great job demonstrating just how often media is used as a tool in social situations. She also brought up this idea that people are constantly asking questions about the latest celebrity scandal, or most recent episode of a current T.V show. This need to be able to contribute to such conversations and to stay in the loop on such events makes the use of media a vital part of our social structure. Whether it is a good thing or bad thing I am not sure but I honestly do not think that people would have the ability to know and understand what conversations are about if they were to go without media for a week. Our society thrives on the media and so those who choose to go without it for a lengthy period of time are inevitably going to feel lost or confused upon returning to their social world.
ReplyDeleteBaran, Stanley J. and Dennis K. Davis, eds. Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment and Future, 6th ed. (Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012).
Feilitzen, Celia Von. "Needs as an Explanatory Factor of Television Viewing." McQuail's Reader in Mass Communication Theory. Ed. Denis McQuail. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2002. 357-363
“Television, along with other media sources, has become a tool for socializing in our society”. I have to agree with this statement from Kristyne’s thread. Media has become a staple in our society and how we interact with each other everyday. It is also used to fit into different social groups in society. For instance if the group of friends that you want to be apart of consumes a particular genre of media, you can uses the media as a way to interact with the group members and be accepted. I am a Phish fan and staying current with Phish news and listening to the most recent performances allows me to interact with my friends.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting aspect of how people use media to socialize in our society is how media effects how children are raised and learn to socialize. Kids in the current generation are consuming more media that any other generation has before them. I think it can have both negative and positive affect on our youth. There is a lot of content that is bad for young children, like violence, adult content and content with inappropriate language. It is important for parents to regulate what their children are exposed too. Positive media geared toward children can teach them important lessons like sharing and educational content. We will have to wait and see how this heavy media exposure effects how children grow up and learn to socialize.
Our society relies heavily on media to stay connected and socialize and it has definitely impacted how we communicate with each other. Personally I feel that the evolution of communication has negatively affected my ability to interact with people in person. The use of txt messaging and Internet chatting has made me less confident when interacting face-to-face; which may affect my ability to interview successfully when looking for a job.
For spring break this year I flew to Lake Tahoe to stay and ski with an old friend. The lifestyle the group of friends I stayed with, was completely different from what I was used too. They all lived an active lifestyle and did not have cable television; which was weird for me. When I had down time like at night before bed, I found myself reading a book that I brought for the plane ride. At home I used different media sources to entertain myself when I had down time. At the end of the week I didn’t really care about the media that I missed during my trip. The change was very nice and it made me think about how much I use media and how it may be impacting my lifestyle.
Part I
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is not a day that goes by that individuals, especially Americans, do not refer to some sort of media in their conversations with others. Kristyne, when you state “Television, along with other media, have become a tool for socializing in our society” I am inclined to completely agree. The media today fills our needs when it comes to different situations. In Mass Communication Theory Baran and Davis quote the work of Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch to “argue that the ‘social situations’ that people find themselves in can be ‘involved in the generation of media related needs’” (Baran and Davis 254). Individuals need the media to assist them in the management of different social situations. For example, media can create small talk conversations with acquaintances, or begin an in depth conversation with our closest friends. There are insurmountable amount of social situations that individuals are able to adapt to or manage because of the media they are consuming. Media provides the information needed to more than inform individuals, but socialize individuals and create conversations between them.
There is a need for media because there is a need for conversation. This need for conversation is driven by a basic need for individuals to connect with something or someone else. In their own work, ”Utilization of Mass Communication by the Individual” Katz, Blumler, Gurevitch state, “Their central notion is that mass communication is used by individuals to connect themselves – via instrumental, affective or integrative relations—with different kinds of others (self, family, friends, nation ect.)” (Katz, Blumler, Gurevitch 166). Media is not only a socializing tool because consuming it establishes what is talked about, it is a socializing tool because it connects us to others. For example, two fans of the same sports team may never meet each other or talk about the game. But, they feel connected to each other as fans when they sit down to watch the game, and realize there is somebody else doing the same thing at the same time. This intangible bond between two strangers, is enough to bring the feeling of connectedness, and a direct result of consuming a type of media.
Part II
DeleteKatz, Blumler, Gurevitch further this notion of desire to connect when they quote the work of Nordenstreg, stating, “It has been often documented (e.g. during television and newspaper strikes in Finland in 1966-67) that perhaps the basic motivation for media use is just an unarticulated need for social contact” (Katz, Blumler, Gurevitch 166). The desire to be social and connected to others drives media consumption. In current society, media is everywhere, seemingly impossible to get away from. If an individual is to be social they have to be aware of a particular media.
For example, my roommates are all extremely excited to see the movie, The Hunger Games. When their excitement began I did not understand it because I had not read The Hunger Games books. I wanted to be a part of their conversation and socialize with them when they talked about it, but I could not because I was not aware of this particular media. So what did I do? I consumed the media, I read The Hunger Games. The book was able to be by tool so I could socialize with my roommates. Additionally, it will lead me to consume more media (I will be seeing The Hunger Games movie this Friday) so I can further converse and connect with my roommates. Baran and Davis pose the question, ““You might ask if whether the mass media themselves have been instrumental in creating certain social situations” (Baran and Davis 255). In my situation, media does seem to create the social situation. The books were written, which led to fandom of the books, creating a social situations where fans talk about the books, leading to the development of the film, which results in my roommates talking about the movie, which ultimately results in me reading the books and seeing the movie.
We consume a great deal of media. According to Baran and Davis, “We all make decisions about which content we choose based on our expectations of having some need met” (Baran and Davis 246). A basic need that drives us is the need to converse and socialize with others, which makes media an important instrument in the social world. Kristyne, you further state, “ We are now using media as a way to stay connected with one another because we feel more accepted by others when we know what is going on.” I believe this is a great way of describing the current situation. As long as there is the need to connect to others, media consumption will continue to grow.
Natalie Acone
Baran, Stanley J., and Dennis K. Davis. Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Katz, Elihu, Jay G. Blumler, and Micheal Gurevitch. "Utilization of Mass Communication by the Individuals." The Uses of Mass Communications: Current Perspectives on Gratifications Research (1975): 164-73. Print.
We wouldn’t use media if we didn’t expect to gain something out of it. That is why we are media consumers. Even if we are just putting on the television or radio to fill the silence in the room, we are still consuming, although we may not be focusing our attention towards the media. We use media as a social tool, whether it is music, television, or social networking sites, the technology is found everywhere in our lives, and because it is common to most people, media can be easily accessed as a conversation starter, or way to establish one’s identity. “Social situations can provide realms of expectations of familiarity with media, which must be met to sustain membership in specific social groups.” (Baran & Davis 255) This idea, in my opinion, is far too prevalent in today’s society. Being omitted from conversation or social groups because you didn’t catch the latest episode of the prime time television show or you aren’t up-to-date on celebrity gossip should be no excuse for hindered social interaction amongst people. Sure, friendships are based on similar interests, but an expectation to maintain a specific path of media consumption seems impractical just to be able to converse with others. Often in class I am completely out of the loop with television shows and celebrity gossip discussion, and can contribute little input to conversation amongst my group of peers. I do not know if this is my own fault, or the fault of the media driven society’s expectations of the average person, or consumer. I would consider myself, as discussed in the readings, impervious to influence. “Audience members are often obstinate; they might not want to be controlled by anyone or anything, even mass media. Audience members actively avoid certain types of media influence. (Bulmer 1979/Baran &Davis 252) This is a choice of mine in some areas of the media, and forced upon me in other areas partially because I do not have cable television, so I miss most of the shows, news, and sports aired on television. However I do find out all of the important and much of the pointless information associated with the media through friends, peer discussions, and social networking sites. But more often than not, I am listening rather than engaging in conversations of pop culture, simply because I do not want to get caught up in that world. Many of my personal interests do not revolve around the mass media and I seek social situations with human interactions, which is why I refuse to get a smart phone, and check facebook once a week. There is a trend in society due to the new and exciting technology that has made it incredibly easy to socialize on a digital level, but is destroying actual human socialization and interaction. Things that should be said to a person’s face are now easily shot over through a text message, taking away all human contact. Celebrity gossip and television has become more important than items of true value to our lives as individuals. Are we more connected to the social world through media or going out and socializing with friends? I’d like to think the latter, but the difference between the media and the social world is getting harder and harder to distinguish. I have been fighting a losing battle against the digital revolution. I consume media, but I don’t let it consume me.
ReplyDeleteKyle Barry