Name: Rabia Khan Class: 6th semester Subject: Theories of mass communication

According to uses and gratification theory, people use media to fulfill the needs like
“diversion, personal identity, personal relationships, surveillance and criticism”
Which one could be the most significant need for an ordinary person in society?
Write with an example.
Uses and gratification theory has highlighted all the conspicuous need of masses to use media.
As our society comprises in a mixture of people having different psychology belonging to
different professions and engaging in multiple hectic routines. The mass media transmits its
messages through different medium direct towards its heterogeneous scattered audience. But
uses of gratification has emphasized on audience of how people use the media from choice of
their material and priorities.
Surveillance and cognitive functions of mass media are for those who want to satisfy their
curiosity about what is going on in the world and what the politician leaders are doing. Knowing
about the politicians is basically not the interest of large segment of our society. Similarly
personal identity and relationships are for those who try to imitate and compare personality into
media content, fond of finding peers along with staying in touch with friends and family. Some
use media for criticism. But I examine people uses mostly media to escape from their regular
lives in the form of diversion. Stimulation, relaxation and emotional release are some faces of
diversion. Watching television, surfing on internet is the activity perform by various ordinary
person for the sake of getting rid from frustration, mentally disturbance, boredom and pressure of
overloaded problems.
When an individual become exhaust of routine responsibilities doing same work whether
intentionally or unintentionally whole day so, his/her mind become tired or if a person is sick of
tolerating unwanted persons around all day so he seeks media for the sake of diverting and
withdrawal of existing reality. Being a housewife I can surely say the diversion form of media
could be the most significant need for an ordinary person. As managing the hectic multitasking
all day from doing home chores to taking care of kids along with studies is not a piece of cake.
Although I perform these countless responsibilities happily but at the end of the day I must use
different sort of media for just relaxing myself to prevent mental stress and to avoid element of
tiredness in me. So I mostly use media in the form of diversion while keeping myself update
about what’s happening right now is also important. But sometimes political happenings and
news about crime and natural disasters are also become the reason of depression. On this behalf
eventually a person has to go for some entertainment elements for seeking relief.
Now I am mentioning some relevant researches that can support my answer about media as
diversion.
1. Media Diversion in Improving Quality of Life in Patients with Recurrent
Gynecologic Cancers Receiving Chemotherapy
This research is conducted by Stephen Rose in a University of Wisconsin Hospital and clinics
with the collaboration of National Cancer Institutes (NCI)
Brief summary: This randomized clinical trial studies media diversion in improving quality of
life in patients with recurrent gynecologic cancers receiving chemotherapy. Media diversion may
improve mood and quality of life in patients having cancer treatment.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01901835
2. The Internet as a Diversion.
This research is conducted by Aaron Smith in September 10, 2009
According to this research:
 Three-quarters of online economic users go online to relax and take their minds off of the
recession
 Online economic users under the age of 30 are especially likely to turn to the internet as a
diversion, although a range of age groups take part in these activities
 Going online to relax is a near-universal activity among online economic users,
regardless of whether they have been personally impacted by the recession or not.
 Those who use the internet as a diversion also are highly engaged in other online
activities related to the economic recession
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2009/09/10/the-internet-as-a-diversion/