Theories

Hypodermic needle model:

The Daily Mail article explains how playing violet video games for just 20 minutes a day can encourage aggressive behavior. This was tested on university students who played Call of Duty for over three days and were then set several tests to record their behavior and reactions to the outside world. This study found that those who played the game were more likely to assume the world was hostile and react aggressively. Therefore, this links to the hypodermic needle model as it shows violet video games which have proven to have an affect on its players. The theory proves to easily manipulate people, making them powerless to resist.  

Two-step flow model:

The BBC article shows Jamal Edwards who has transformed from a teenager living on a council estate in West London to a self-made multimillionaire. At 23 years old, Jamal is worth more than £8 million, as he has turned into a film-maker and is the owner of SBTV-a music making broadcasting company. This article links to the two-step flow model as it shows Jamal has been influenced by leaders in the music industry, determining his success.

Uses and Gratifications theory:
Blumler and Katz' uses and gratifications theory suggests that media sources are used to fulfill media users needs. The four basic needs are: diversion: the need to escape from everyday life, personal relationships: people use the media to fulfill their need for companionship and to form relationships with others (social group), personal identity: use the media to find out about ourselves, people presented in the media reflect us and surveillance: using the media to find out what is going on around us (informative). 

Diversion:
'Hello' magazine gives people the opportunity to escape from everyday life, by peering into others (celebrities and gossip). 

Personal relationships:
Facebook and Twitter are social networking sites on the internet which allow people to interact and form relationships with others.

Personal identity:
Soap opera's such as Eastenders showed on TV and online allows people to relate the drama with their own lives and reflect them. It also helps people find out about themselves.

Surveillance:
BBC News allows people to find out what is going on around us worldwide and is extremely informative. The different ways this can be accessed is by TV, radio, internet and mobile phone apps. 

Dependency theory:
Rokeach and Defleur took the uses and gratifications theory one step further in 1976, suggesting that people have become dependent on the media.

1) I use the media mainly for information; internet and books for general news and school work. I also use the media for entertainment; YouTube and social networking sites. 

2) I feel that I am very dependent on the media, I use it to watch films and TV programmes by TV and internet. I also use the media heavily when doing my school work and reading/watching the news.

3) In my opinion I believe the dependence on the media has increased over the past 10 years. Nowadays most people access the media easily and quickly through their smart phones for social and informative uses. People also rely on the media (internet) for research, rather than traditional books.