Audience Theory 1

1) Read this Mail Online article about the effects of videogames. How does this article link to the hypodermic needle model? This would link to the hypodermic needle model because people would start panicking thinking children are able to hack into big companies and parent's would start getting paranoid into thinking that if their child is playing violent video games, they may also be a hacker.

2) How does coverage of the Talk Talk hacking case (see Daily Mail front page below) link to the hypodermic needle model? Why might someone criticise this front page? Someone might criticise this front page because the daily mail clearly says 'Son of a single mother' and the hypodermic needle model would come into use as people would start thinking single mothers are useless and can't take care of their child.

Two-step flow model

1) Summarise the two-step flow model. In your opinion, is the two-step flow theory still relevant today? The two-step flow model was invented in the 1940s. The two-step flow model suggests that we are mainly influenced by people. The theory also suggests that the media is not all powerful, social factors are important

2) How does this YouTube blogger fit into the two-step flow model?

3) How this this Telegraph feature on Britain's most popular tweeters fit the two-step flow model? Do you think these accounts genuinely have an influence over their audience? Yes, I think these accounts genuinely have an influence over their audience. This is because they'd like to share what they see from their perspective and most of their fans would often believe what they share and agree with them.

4) Read this BBC profile of Jamal Edwards. How does Jamal Edwards link to the two-step flow model? Jamal Edwards links to the two-step flow model because he is the one who is creating media in a certain way so the audience knows how to perceive it.

Uses and Gratifications theory

Diversion: Escape from everyday problems and routine. - Entertainment

Personal Relationships: Using the media for emotional and other interaction (E.g. developing affection for characters) 

Personal Identity: Finding ourselves reflected in the texts or learning behaviour and values from the media. - Reality TV

 

Surveillance: Information useful for living - Weather

Dependency theory

1) Do you agree that audiences have become dependent on the media? What evidence or examples can you provide to support your view? Yes I agree that audiences have become dependent on the media. Examples are that people use instagram nowadays to see what is going on in the world rather than reading newspapers. People use media as a source of entertainment rather than actually going out and having fun.

2) How has the growth of new and digital technology in the last 15 years changed people's dependency on the media? Is this a new problem? In the last 15 years, people have become more reliant on media and this is a new problem because people are staying home and using new digital technology to communicate with friends and family rather than actually going out. People stay home and use their phones and eat and this is one of the possible factors of the obesity crisis in the UK.

3) Reflecting on your own media use, how does your media consumption impact on your emotions? Does the media have an overall positive or negative impact on your health and wellbeing? Why? Overall, I think is has a positive impact on health as it tells us how much calories we burn everyday via walking and running. Furthermore, it keeps us updated with what is going on locally and globally.