McQuail et al. (2010) gave the following criteria for why we should choose certain media:
- to be informed/educated
- to identify with the characters
- for entertainment
- to enhance social interaction
- to escape from stress
When I think of my favorite shows and movies, I choose all of my media for basically every criteria except for to be informed/educated. Ky always makes fun of me because according to him, I like empty shows and movies. I don't really like watching anything that makes me feel a strong emotion - I prefer to escape from reality into a world of fiction where everything always works out and there's never a sad ending to any story. I especially like to use media to escape from stress - that's what's known around the world as a Netflix veg sess. When I've had a hard day, my favorite thing to do is park myself in front of the TV and watch episode after episode of "Parks and Rec" or "The Office". I also really love to identify with the characters and think about how similar I want to believe mine and Ky's relationship is to Jim and Pam's, or how my best friend and I are basically the real-life version of Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins. I like to use media as an escape from reality.
Shout out to me being the (occasional) leslie to your ann and the (occasional) ann to your leslie. Also I feel you x1000 on watching "empty" stuff, just to escape. I'm currently watching toddlers and tiaras, soooo... (p.s. it's me your best friend Jenna. I can't figure out why it won't let me sign in to my google account to comment. but whatever)
ReplyDeleteVery profound and astute. I feel uplifted. Keep on keeping on.
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