Audience Theory

The Hypodermic Needle Model 

The mail online article links to the hypodermic needle model. The violent video game was said to have influenced the children who played the game for 3 consecutive days, however the racing game did not have any influence on the children and their behaviour. The exposure to violent games for enough time will apparently increase aggression, according to the results shown from the study.

The hypodermic needle model theory is based on the media influencing their audience by getting the response that they desire. In this case, the violence led to aggression and therefore had a dangerous effect on the audience playing the game. 

The actual study however is very simplistic, in the article nothing has been explained about the actual participants. How many of them had a good upbringing? What class were they? There are many different questions to consider when it comes to the relation to violence and video games. They may actually have been brought up within a family who were aggressive or unstable. The hypodermic needle theory is so crude and the blaming of the media is merely a scapegoat as it is down to the individual rather than the game itself.

The TalkTalk hacking case links to the hypodermic needle model as they say he was a 'violent game addict.' They say that he was influenced by the media and the game however the Daily Mail were criticised for this due to them being biased. They are supporting the fact that video games influence a young person and cause them to do certain things yet they have not explained anything other than his addiction to games; what about his uprbringing?

The Two-Step Flow Model

The two step flow model is a theory that highlights the importance of social factors. It also suggests that the audience are influenced by 'opinion leaders.' These opinion leaders mediate how the audience react to media texts. 

TotalBiscuit is a gaming commentator and critic on YouTube; he is an opinion leader who other people look up to and are influenced by, in regards to his opinions and critiques. This fits into the two-step flow model as his audience are interested into what he says and due to his large number of subscribers, it is evident that he has a large fan base, who value his opinion and would therefore be encouraged to support this man's views and regard his critiques as valuable and important. 

The Telegraph's article on influential tweeters reveals that One Direction have a larger following than the Prime Minister, David Cameron. This fits into the two-step flow model as it shows how we are influenced by social factors. Musicians are opinion leaders as whatever they say has an influence on their fan base, which is huge. 

Jamal Edwards is extremely influential due to him spiralling into a millionaire from such a young age. He his somebody who a lot of young people would look up to as he is an amateur, who has become something out of nothing, which supports the two-step flow model as people would be influenced by his opinions and his views, making him an opinion leader.

Uses and Gratifications 

Diversion: escape from everyday problems and routine - entertainment

Eastenders fits perfectly with diversion as the conventional audience would want to escape their own life and be part of another world, where everything seems much worse than their own life. It makes people feel better about themselves as it allows them to see other people living in a worse condition than themselves. It also means people get that half an hour to just relax and be entertained.
Personal Relationships: using the media for emotional and other interaction

The audience would use Instagram for interaction and in order to connect and identify with friends and other people. This social networking site enables a relationship to develop or even grow further as people can see what their friends and family are doing and posting. It also helps you to keep up to date with what your friends and family are doing, therefore there would be a further attachment and interaction created. 
Personal Identity: finding ourselves reflected in texts or learning behaviour and values from the media. Reality TV or documentary

The use of the multi-strand narrative within The Only Way Is Essex allows the audience to relate to at least one of the characters. There is a sense of difference within all of the characters, which therefore allows the audience to relate and therefore find themselves within the show. In TV shows such as The Only Way Is Essex, the audience may not actually find themselves reflected within the show but instead may aspire to be like one of the characters, be it having the same body as one of them or even adopting their behaviours or characteristics. 

Surveillance: Information useful for living 

BBC News is a very important aspect of most peoples lives, be it through the app (E-Media) or through TV. The BBC is a public service broadcaster, therefore we expect the news to inform us and educate us in our every day lives. The information that the BBC provide to us should not be biased and therefore the information that they do provide is extremely useful for living. The different platforms, such as E-Media, aids the efficiency of receiving this important information and helps us in our day to day lives.