The uses and gratification theory is a theory which is based all around the audiences who are viewing the products. The uses and gratification theory states that the user has 4 basic needs. These are diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance.

Personal identity

Pretty Hurts is a music video by Beyonce Knowles. From the first minute that you open the video you see a side of Beyonce which looks broken. Then it starts to show different sides of her throughout the process of her pageant life and the steps she takes to become ‘perfect’. The whole music video is about looking the best you can, even though you may not feel it. By going to the extreme levels of trying to look good it can damage and break girls along the way. The lyrics also fit into what she is trying to reinforce why people try to look the best of the best, and hurt themselves along the way. The personal identity of the audiences can make them relate to the video. There are a lot of scenes in the video which can make a member of the audience represent themselves and see them reflected. At the beginning of the video Beyonce is shunned down by the other contestants of the pageant, and a audience member could use their personal identity to relate to them being bullied in a period of their life etc. Another example in the video of the audience making their own judgement and association would be when Beyonce is getting measured at the pageant measurement and then afterwards. She is isolated from the rest of the pageant contestants and it may bring out audiences feelings of self consciousness and weight issues. But it may bring out other feelings from other audience members. It all depends on their past experiences, what they have been through and how they associate it. Another example would be when Beyonce is still in the measurement section of the pageant. Because she is obviously curvier than the other girls, they move away from her in a sense of bullying and isolating her. Again, some audiences may associate it with their own personal identity, but other audiences may not think anything of it. Some audiences may be the Beyonce of the video, and some individual members of the audience may be the girls who are isolating Beyonce. It all depends on audience members personal experiences on how they associate it and see it. All the examples I have pointed out are specific points in the video which the audiences may have a reaction to the most, because of how society makes them feel they have to react and their own experiences and their own personal identity. The video that Beyonce produces is all about the pressure of looking good, and in everyone’s personal identity they seek to look the best they can. Some people in themselves achieve it but others don’t, but Beyonce video reports how pressurising the media and our peers are to make not only themselves but everyone else perfect.

Personal relationships

People use the media to fulfil their need for companionships and to form relationships with a part of a social group. Selfie by Chainsmokers is a good example of a music video which has a lot of personal relationships, as well as making the audience feel like they have personal relationships through the media product. The beginning of the video is lots of people at a club/party and they are all together and dancing. The main purpose of the video is about a stereotypical and totally relatable night out in a club. A girl that you dislike, going to the mirror to look at yourself and a man usually involved in the night out. Because it is so relatable, it makes the audience want to watch it more and relate to their own nights out and their own personal relationships. When it comes to feeling like they belong and can form personal relationships in a part of a social group, the video makes the audience feel like they are part of something because of the common love which is dancing, drinking and taking selfies. The video then begins to show lots of different people’s selfies. Even though all the people are different, all the people may not know each other, it still makes the audience feel like there is one common interest and enjoyment between the social groups, thus making the audience feel like they are in a social group.

The video tries to relate to a specific type of audience (a niche audience) In order to gain popularity and above all to make the song become worldwide. By making the video all about partying, selfies, drinking and relatable topics, it helps the audiences to feel like they have personal relationships with their peers, just because they are doing the same thing as them.

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