The
underlying idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire to
fulfil, or gratify certain needs. So rather than asking how the media uses us,
the model asks how we use the media.
The
model is broken down into four different needs.Surveillance: The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. (we watch the news as we feel it is a reliable source of information and it makes us feel secure that we know what is happening around us). The surveillance model is all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security.
Personal Identity: The personal identity need explains how being a subject of the media allows us to confirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society. The use of the media for forming personal identity can be seen in music videos/films. Pop stars can often become big role models, inspiring young children everywhere (which is why there's such an outcry when one of them does something wrong).
Personal Relationships: We can form a relationship with the media, and also use the media to form a relationship with others.Many people use the television as a form of companionship. This may seem sad, but think about how many times you've watched the TV on your own, or with other people but sitting in silence. The television is often quite an intimate experience, and by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we even know them. When presenters or characters in a soap die, those who have watched that person a lot often grieve for the character, as if they have lost a friend. Another aspect to the personal relationships model is how we can sometimes use the media as a springboard to form and build upon relationships with real people.Having a favourite TV programme in common can often be the start of a conversation, and can even make talking to strangers that much easier.
Some studies suggest that some families use sitting around watching the television as a stimulus for conversation, talking to each other about the programme or related anecdotes while it is.
DiversionThe diversion need describes what's commonly termed as escapism - watching the television so we can forget about our own lives and problems for a while and think about something else. We watch music videos to take our mind off our every day lives, we want to distract our self from the problems we are experiencing. We want to see that people experience the same feelings as we do and want to forget about our own problems and focus on some one else's.
