USES AND GRATIFICATION

One influential tradition in media research is referred to as 'uses and gratifications'. This approach focuses on why people use particular media rather than on content. In contrast to the concern of the 'media effects' tradition with 'what media do to people. uses & Gratification (U and G) can be seen as part of a broader trend amongst media researchers which is more concerned with 'what people do with media', allowing for a variety of responses and interpretations. However, some commentators have argued that gratifications could also be seen as effects. U and G helps audience to find out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world,seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices, satisfying curiosity and general interest,learning; self-education
and gaining a sense of security through knowledge

SURVEILLANCE

It is true that under surveillance, we derive knowledge from media content. But over exposure to the media could make us learn wrong things. For instance watching or listening to programs that has sex and violent pictures in them. Although the media reaffirms one's identity through its contents, it also leads one wrongly. Watching a character bearing the same behavior as u could be worsen if this behavior is bad. Because by watching and listening to programs we aspire to be like the characters whom we find ourselves in. There is also no doubt that watching and listening to media programs could relief you of your problems like films and music. As one watches or listens to get rid of a problem you realizes that the thing you are trying to rid yourself of are being repeated in that program. The media media content as a stimulant for conversation will not allow one have the appropriate effect of a program, since one's idea on a program differs from another. 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. One of the genres this is often applied to is news. By watching or reading about news we learn about what is happening in the world, and as the news is usually bad news, this knowledge leaves us feeling more secure about the safety of our own lives. This idea might seem a bit strange, that the more we know about tragedies the safer we feel, but sociologists argue that ignorance is seen as a source of danger, and so the more knowledge we have the safer we feel. When looking at the news it's easy to spot news items that give us this reaction.
U AND G
The theory have some limitations,such as its highly individualistic nature.It only takes into account the individual psychological gratification derived from individual media use.The social context of the media use is ignored.For example the environment as well as the state of the media user.

Despite the wide range of choices available to users,they have no control over the media and what it produces.What they consume is solely prepared by gatekeepers and may include their influences and perception.These gatekeepers add to,subtract from and organize issues,subjects and stories devoid of the control from the users.


With reference to the uses and gratification theory, the audience of the media create their own meanings of the messages and contents of the media. And the meanings they create out of this messages at times could be wrong due to emotions and this can lead to a long lasting negative effect on the audience since they are always consumers of the messages put across by the media.
One can also talk of how in dominant and powerless the media is as perceived by the direct effect theory. The media under the uses and gratification theory tend to competes with other forms of communication for selection, attention and use to gratify the audience needs and want. These are indeed some weaknesses of the uses and gratification theory.