I consume many examples of media everyday. I watch it, I listen to it and I produce it. This is evident through my collage I have made as it shows how throughout our everyday life media is used and is a big part. It’s used in many ways such as a key part of entertainment, as well as used to provide information and surveillance. Personally I use media a lot for entertainment by watching shows and movies on platforms such as Netflix. However, I also use media as a social interaction for example using apps on my phone like Snapchat and Facebook Messenger to interact with my friends and family wherever I am.

From seeing how the media affects and helps my everyday life and how through particularly social media we can share our life experiences and friends, family or anyone can see what you post. We can interact with each other on these platforms by messaging, liking/commenting on each others posts and reposting. Media plays very a important role and has influence in virtually every aspect of our lives. It is considered as the best source to know about the happenings of world. Newspaper, magazine, radio, television and internet are the different types of media. It greatly affects our lives because media has the power to influence our thoughts. This influence is sometimes positive and sometimes negative.

In my collage, I used the Bulmler and Katz Theory which was discovered in 1987. This theory explores the ideas of the uses and gratifications that come with each media. I showed this in my collage as a regularly use each component in my everyday life as part of the audience and portrays my own uses of media and what particular ones I enjoy and use most frequently.

The use of information in the theory explains the self education to suit personal needs; advice on practical matters; information on events or issues of personal interest; curiosity or general interest, such as Online News – Guernsey Press, Daily Mail, BBC. Personal Identity explores the media reinforcing personal values; models of behaviour; content explored to challenge, adjust or affirm sense of self e.g.  Culture Pages, Good Housekeeping Magazines, Facebook, Instagram. Integration and Social Interaction explores identify with others to gain a sense of belonging; find basis for real life interactions; substitute for real life relationships, for example drama series and reality TV. My most commonly used is entertainment that conveys escape; diversion; emotional release; filling time; aesthetic enjoyment to the audience, like Reality TV, Love Island, KUWTK, RHousewives, Netflix, Instagram, Facebook, Films

I’ve discovered from this research and reflection that the media is key for businesses to promote their product, e.g. magazine, and to know what other products have been successful with the target audience. Also to consider this when making my own magazine cover as it is one of the most important for businesses to earn profit from what they have created.