Media Consumption

What does the term 'media consumption' mean?

"Media consumption or media diet is the sum of information and entertainment media taken in by an individual or group. It includes activities such as interacting with new media; reading books and magazines; watching television and film; listening to radio; and so on"

How do we consume media? 

Ever since there have been cameras, photographs and screens, there has been media consumption of some kind. As the years have gone by, society has developed and introduced new technology which has slowly started to take over generations and gain a sense of control over the modern world. We now have the world wide web which has brought us social networking, and advertising has advanced on a huge scale to which there is no escape from it. 

The level of media consumption is different for every individual depending on what they have access to, as is their response to various aspects. For example, a teenager with a smartphone or a laptop is likely to access a lot more media on a day to day basis than, say, a retiree who isn't technologically inclined. 

Without realising it, everyone consumes media that is used discreetly but effectively through advertisements on billboards, the backs of buses, at bus stops or in shop windows. Almost anywhere you look, you will see an ad for something, whether it's a food chain or a clothing brand or a film. We just don't necessarily look for them on purpose, therefore we don't take notice and they don't all have an effect on us. 

Times Square, New York City

Times Square is a commercial intersection in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is notorious for it's bright, bold billboards and is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions. It is frequently featured in popular culture and is where all the big companies want their ads to be shown due to the vast amount and range of people who pass through and take notice, whether they're shopping, eating or seeing a broadway show. 

Desigual's New York Store

Whilst Desigual doesn't use a billboard or any other standard form of advertising, they transformed the section of building in which their New York store is located to grab everyone's attention. They turned it into a piece of art which lead to tourists taking photographs of it and sharing it on the internet. This is a prime example of people consuming media without realising. When I walked past the store, I just thought it was a work of art and never considered that it could actually be an advert. 

The modern world seems to be very dependent on technology, but it's important to note that radio, newspapers and magazines are still entirely valid. Most people buy newspapers once a week and read them on the train or bus on their way to work or listen to the radio, so it should come as no surprise that you're consuming a lot more than you think you are. 

McQuail's Theory & My Media Consumption

Denis McQuail is a communication theorist and a professor at the University of Amsterdam, who looks into why people use the media. He states that there are four main factors of why we consume media:

Personal Identity

• Finding reinforcement for personal values
• Finding models of behaviour
• Identifying with valued other (in the media)
• Gaining insight into one's self

This essentially means that consumers will try to find something or someone in the media they can relate to and connect with on a personal level and use this to discover more about themselves personally. 

The younger generation would perhaps look up to characters such as those in The Avengers, or just any form of superhero because they save the world and have good values. Although they have superpowers which don't exist in the real world and also tackle issues such as aliens, which are also unlikely to ever cause a problem in reality, at the end of the day they are still heroes. They have everyone's best interest at heart and want to do good, which enables companies such as Marvel to create excellent role models. No end of young children claim to want to be superheroes when they grow up and are inspired to adopt the same behaviours.

When it comes to my own personal media consumption, my personal identity is reflected through YouTube and it's many content creators. Shay Carl is a vlogger and YouTube personality who has five channels, two of which have attracted over one million subscribers. I primarily watch his Shaytards channel where he uploads daily videos of his family life. What I find so fascinating is that he's gone from being a school bus driver to building up a media company which was then sold to The Walt Disney Company for $500 million. On top of his YouTube career, he lost 112 lbs in the space of a year and went on to run three marathons (whilst documenting it all on one of his channels), won three awards for his work, has done voice acting and brand deals, started a clothing company and is currently in the process of writing a book. Youtubers like him are the people I look up to because they're normal people who have worked hard to get to where they are and use their fame to entertain and inspire audiences around the world. 

Information

• Finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surrounding, society and the world
• Seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
• Satisfying curiosity and general interest learning; self-education
• Gaining a sense of security through knowledge

To put it simply, this applies to media which people consume in order to gather information on something. They could be using Google to research the release date of film or find the definition of a word or be reading a newspaper to get up to speed on political issues. 

Sophisticated Weddings, New York Edition (Magazine)

The magazine above is dedicated to providing information regarding everything wedding related that is based in New York. This includes venues, dresses, florists, caterers, photographers and honeymoon locations etc. Obviously the demographic is very particular, but it's exactly what someone getting married in New York would look at to get the information they need. It's doesn't just contain every possible resource though, it focuses on the best available so people can use it if they need advice or opinions. 

WWF Website

For my own personal media consumption, I rely heavily on the internet because it's free and there's such a wide range of information to access. I often visit the WWF website to find out about the current situation with certain animals in the world, especially Giant Pandas. There are pages upon pages of facts about animals and the work that volunteers carry out, which interests me and helps me to learn more about nature and the environment. 

Integration and Social Interaction

• Gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
• Identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
• Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
• Having a substitute for real-life companionship
• Enabling one to connect with family, friends and society

This is when consumers socialise through online social networks to keep in contact with people and see what they get up to in their day to day lives. 

Facebook has 1.3 billion users, which means that it is likely to be the place where all your friends are sharing information and daily or even hourly updates. You can read the news, share photos and videos, organise events or even build a professional profile. It gives people a sense of belonging; you can meet people online who share the same interests as you and interact with them which helps those who perhaps don't have many friends in the real world, feel as though they do in the virtual world. Although I've never met anyone on Facebook myself and advanced to forming a friendship, I have interacted with people on pages for TV shows that I watch or artists that I listen to because we all share a common interest. 

Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform with 233 million blogs and for me, is a huge aspect of my social interaction. Making a blog is so easy, almost anyone can do it and you soon find yourself swept up in the virtual world of cat gifs and puns. People share photos, videos, music, stories, fashion, art, photography and basically everything you can think of. Even Barack Obama has an official blog.

It's been a place I can go to express myself and I don't have to filter my opinion because everyone on there is open to discussion about just about anything. I mostly use my fandom blog, which is where I 'reblog' fan art, gifs and text posts that relate to my favourite films, tv shows and artists. I also have a personal blog where I share photography that I like, as well as quotes that I can relate to. I've also previously used Tumblr as a portfolio for my AS Level Media coursework because it's so straightforward and user friendly. The site provides so much freedom and customisation, it's a fantastic place for creative people to show their talent to the world.

I think that in order to have a blog on Tumblr, you have to be quite open-minded and accepting of others, which I've seen no end of evidence of during my time on the site. People are constantly spreading awareness of issues within today's society such as the Ferguson riots, gay rights, politics and feminism and it's clear that the majority of the younger generation are extremely passionate about making a change in the world. I have become much more aware of such issues and the consequences, and find myself getting involved in a lot of campaigns and petitions to try and make a difference; something I doubt I'd do if I didn't have my own blog.

Entertainment

• Escaping, or being diverted, from problems
• Relaxing
• Getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
• Filling time
• Emotional release
• Sexual arousal

The Sims franchise started way back in the year 2000 and is a life simulation video game series. You can build a house with thousands of customisation options and then create a family to move in, of which both processes have advanced phenomenally in the latest game. You can select their careers and make sure their needs are fulfilled, or let them die a slow, painful death. You are effectively playing God with tiny, virtual versions of yourself or your friends. This is a great way to escape from problems and fill time, a lot of people can actually find it quite therapeutic to have control over someone else's life and not have to deal with their own, even though the sims aren't actually real. 

Modern Family is an American sitcom that started in 2009 and has won multiple awards since. It's my go-to show when I need to relax, because it's lighthearted and I don't have to think about what's going on. Each character is different and likeable, and families across the world will find it easy to relate to each episode. The episodes only last for around twenty three minutes so it's easy to watch them to simply full time, but it's so entertaining that I often find myself watching three or four in a row which takes away my stress because I'm too busy laughing.

As well as all of the aspects of media consumption I've listed above, I also online shop and listen to music multiple times a week and to fill time and escape and read the local newspaper to keep updated on events in my area.