The Application of The Uses and Gratifications Theory
Research Proposal for the Application of the Uses and Gratifications Theory
Purpose:
For my research proposal I will use the Uses and Gratifications theory to further explain how television takes advantage of new media such as social media (FaceBook, Twitter) and other new types of media in order to strengthen, modify or enhance parasocial relationships people develop with characters on television. My research will be done in the form of a non open-ended survey, providing yes and no questions to the people taking the survey which will facilitate insight in the way television uses social media to be involved in parasocial relationships in some way. I have chose to focus on the show The Walking Dead and the relationships people may develop with characters on the show. I will also focus on the way the show itself, uses new media to do something to that relationship in some way. The purpose for my project is to further research in new media using the Uses and Gratifications theory.
Rationale:
The Walking Dead has become such a popular show that it has almost developed a cult like following. According the New York Times (2013), The Walking Dead’s season three, premiere episode, was seen by 12.3 million people, making it a popular show and an important show to study (p.1). The people that routinely watch the show, and indulge themselves in the action, eventually achieve a relationship so strong that some may even be distraught for several days after one of their favorite characters dies, for example. The relationship in this sense is that people develop a strong attachment to the character on the show, and when the character goes away they feel like they have lost a good friend. Emma Riley Sutton (2013) notes that fans of the show have even created hypothetical scenarios, where they pretend to survive zombie hordes and hangout with their favorite characters from the show (p.1). Doing research to look into this show, the new media it utilizes
Purpose:
For my research proposal I will use the Uses and Gratifications theory to further explain how television takes advantage of new media such as social media (FaceBook, Twitter) and other new types of media in order to strengthen, modify or enhance parasocial relationships people develop with characters on television. My research will be done in the form of a non open-ended survey, providing yes and no questions to the people taking the survey which will facilitate insight in the way television uses social media to be involved in parasocial relationships in some way. I have chose to focus on the show The Walking Dead and the relationships people may develop with characters on the show. I will also focus on the way the show itself, uses new media to do something to that relationship in some way. The purpose for my project is to further research in new media using the Uses and Gratifications theory.
Rationale:
The Walking Dead has become such a popular show that it has almost developed a cult like following. According the New York Times (2013), The Walking Dead’s season three, premiere episode, was seen by 12.3 million people, making it a popular show and an important show to study (p.1). The people that routinely watch the show, and indulge themselves in the action, eventually achieve a relationship so strong that some may even be distraught for several days after one of their favorite characters dies, for example. The relationship in this sense is that people develop a strong attachment to the character on the show, and when the character goes away they feel like they have lost a good friend. Emma Riley Sutton (2013) notes that fans of the show have even created hypothetical scenarios, where they pretend to survive zombie hordes and hangout with their favorite characters from the show (p.1). Doing research to look into this show, the new media it utilizes
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