Theoretical Aspects of Russian Youth Media Consumption: to the Revision of Uses and Gratification Theory

Section: Theory of Journalism and Media

The purpose of the article is to consider the conceptual foundations of uses and gratification media theory formulated by both foreign and Russian media scholars, as well as to identify common groups of needs of the youth audience in the context of dynamics of theoretical knowledge about digital media. The authors substantiate the thesis that, unlike traditional media, digital media have the qualitative characteristics of social space. As a result, the needs of the media audience are modified, becoming socially determined. Based on the literature studied, the authors propose their own structure of the media needs of “digital” youth in Russia. These are information, educational, entertainment and social needs. None of these groups is represented in its pure form, as their nature is determined by social needs. Nevertheless, social needs are also highlighted in a separate group. As the classification shows, modern youth can use media as a tool to gratify their personal needs, determined by human social nature. Satisfying information needs in its pure form today is not a priority for the media consumption process, but it goes together with social and, more narrowly, communication determinants. Thus, rethinking the uses and gratification theory in media studies takes place in the context of the transformation of media nature, when attributive characteristics of the social space become inherent to the media and media practices of individuals become their social practices.

DOI: 10.30547/vestnik.journ.2.2019.328

References:

Baek K., Holton A., Harp D., Yaschur C. (2011) The Links that Bind: Uncovering Novel Motivations for Linking on Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior 27 (6): 2243—2248. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.07.003

Bakulev G. P. (2010) Mass communication. Western theories and concepts [Massovaya kommunikatsiya. Zapadnye teorii i kontseptsii]. Moscow: Aspect Press. (In Russian)

Batson C. D. (2011) Altruism in Humans. Oxford: Oxford Scholarship Online. DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195341065.001.0001

Berger J. (2014) Word of Mouth and Interpersonal Communication: a Review and Directions for Future Research. Journal of Consumer Psychology 24 (4): 586—607. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcps.2014.05.002

Cappella J. N., Kim H. S., Albarracin D. (2015) Selection and Transmission Processes for Information in the Emerging Media Environment: Psychological Motives and Message Characteristics. Media Psychology 18 (3): 396—424. DOI: 10.1080/15213269.2014.941112

Couldry N., Hepp A. (2016) The Mediated Construction of Reality. Cambridge: Polity.

Cutler N. E., Danowski J. A. (1980) Process Gratification in Aging Cohorts. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 57 (2): 269—276.

December J. (1996) Units of Analysis for Internet Communication. Journal of Communication 46 (1): 14—38.

Deci E. L., Ryan R. M. (2008 b) Self-Determination Theory: A Macrotheory of Human Motivation, Development, and Health. Canadian Psychology 49: 182—185.

Dimmick J., Chen Y., Li Z. (2004) Competition Between the Internet and Traditional News Media: the Gratification-Opportunities Niche Dimension. The Journal of Media Economics 17 (1): 19—33.

Drumheller K. (2005) Millennial Dogma: a Fantasy Theme Analysis of the Millennial Generation’s Uses and Gratifications of Religious Content Media. Journal of Communication & Religion 28 (1): 47—70.

Fedotova L. N. (2009) Sociology of Mass Communication [Sotsiologiya massovoy kommunikatsii]. Moscow: International University in Moscow. (In Russian)

Feinberg M., Willer R., Stellar J., Keltner D. (2012) The Virtues of Gossip: Reputational Information Sharing as Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 102 (5): 1015—1030. DOI: 10.1037/a0026650

Fomicheva I. D. (2007) Sociology of the Media [Sotsiologiya SMI]. Moscow: Aspect Press. (In Russian)

Gourevich S. M. (2004) The Economy of Domestic Media [Ekonomika otechestvennykh SMI]. Moscow: Aspect Press. (In Russian)

Grushin B. A. (1967) The Opinion About the World and the World of Opinions [Mnenie o mire i mir mneniy]. Moscow: Politizdat. (In Russian)

Guadagno R. E., Rempala D. M., Murphy S., Okdie B. M. (2013) What Makes a Video Go Viral? An Analysis of Emotional Contagion and Internet Memes. Computers in Human Behavior 29 (6): 2312—2319. DOI: 10.1016/j. chb.2013.04.016

Hanitzsch T. (2007) Deconstructing Journalism Culture: Toward a Universal Theory. Communication Theory 4 (17): 367—385.

Hatfield E., Cacioppo J. T., Rapson R. L. (1993) Emotional Contagion. Current Directions in Psychological Science 2 (3): 96—100. DOI: 10.1111/1467-8721.ep10770953

Ho J. Y. C., Dempsey M. (2010) Viral Marketing: Motivations to Forward Online Content. Journal of Business Research 63 (9—10): 1000—1006. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.08.010

Homans G. (1958) Social Behavior as Exchange. American Journal of Sociology 63 (6): 597—606.

Katz E., Blumler J. G., Gurevitch M. (1973) Uses and Gratifications Research. Public Opinion Quarterly 37 (4): 509—523.

Katz E., Gurevitch M., Haas H. (1973) On the Use of the Mass Media for Important Things. American Sociological Review 38 (2): 164—181.

Kaye B. K., Johnson T. J. (2002) Online and in the Know: Uses and Gratifications of the Web for Political Information. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 46 (1): 54—71.

Kolomiets V. P. (2014) Media Sociology: Theory and Practice [Mediasotsiologiya: teoriya i praktika]. Moscow: NIPKTS Voskhod-A. (In Russian)

Kumpel A. S., Karnowski V., Keyling T. (2015) News Sharing in Social Media: A Review of Current Research on News Sharing Users, Content, and Networks. Social Media + Society 1 (2): 1—14. DOI: 10.1177/2056305115610141 

Kurzban R., Burton-Chellew M. N., West S. A. (2015) The Evolution of Altruism in Humans. Annual Review of Psychology 66: 575—599. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015355

Lang P. J., Bradley M. M. (2010) Emotion and the Motivational Brain. Biological Psychology 84 (3): 437—450. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2009.10.007 

Lasswell H. D. (1948) The Structure and Function of Communication in Society. In L. Bryson The Communication of Ideas. New York: Harper & Row. Pp. 37—51.

Lee C. S., Ma L. (2012) News Sharing in Social Media: the Effect of Gratifications and Prior Experience. Computers in Human Behavior 28 (2): 331—339. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.10.002

Lowery S. A., DeFleur M. L. (1995) Milestones in Mass Communication Research (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY Longman.

Lundgren S. R., Prislin R. (1998) Motivated Cognitive Processing and Attitude Change. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 24 (7): 715—726. DOI: 10.1177/0146167298247004

Mal’kova V. K., Tishkov V. A. (2016) Antropologiya media: teoriya ipraktika [Media Anthropology: Theory and Practice]. Moscow: IEA RAN. (In Russian) 

Maslow A. (1970) Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper & Bros. 

McQuail D. (2002) Mass Communication Theory. London: Sage.

Moore M. (2012) Interactive Media Usage Among Millennial Consumers. Journal of Consumer Marketing 29 (6): 436—444.

Nazarov M. M. (2003) Mass communication in the contemporary world: analysis methodology and research practice [Massovaya kommunikatsiya v sovremennom mire: metodologiya analiza i praktika issledovaniy]. Moscow: Editorial URSS. (In Russian)

Nazarov M. M. (2010) Massovaya kommunikatsiya v sovremennom mire: metodologiya analiza ipraktika issledovaniy [Mass Communication and Society. Introduction to Theory and Research]. Moscow: Librokom. (In Russian)

Orlova E. I. (2012) Literatura, zhurnalistika, filologiya: pole vzaimodejstviya [Literature, Journalism and Philology: the Field of Interaction]. In G. S. Lapshina, E. I. Orlova,  I. E. Prokhorova (eds.) Russkaya literatura i zhurnalistika v dvizhenii vremeni. Ezhegodnik kafedry istorii russkoy literatury i zhurnalistiki [Russian Literature and Journalism in the Movement of Time. Ysarbook of the Department of History of Russian Literature and Journalism]. Moscow: Faculty of Journalism. (In Russian)

Palmgreen P., Wenner L. A., Rayburn J. (1980) Relations Between Gratifications Sought and Obtained: a Study of Television News. Communication Research 7 (2): 161—192.

Papacharissi Z. (2009) Uses and Gratifications. In D. W. Stacks, M. B. Salwen (eds.) An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research. New York: Routledge. Pp. 137—152.

Papacharissi Z., Rubin A. M. (2000) Predictors of Internet Use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 44 (2): 175—196. DOI: 10.1207/s15506878jobem4402_2 

Pearson J. C., Carmon A., Tobola C., Fowler M. (2009/2010) Motives for Communication: Why the Millennial Generation Uses Electronic Devices. Journal of the Communication, Speech & Theatre 22: 45—55.

Pelt V. D. (1973) Problemy teorii pechati [Problems of Printing Theory]. Moscow: Moscow State University Publ. (In Russian)

Poluekhtova I. A. (2016) Issledovaniya auditorii i mediapotrebleniya v tsifrovoj srede: metodologicheskie i prakticheskie problemy [Studies of the Audience and Media Consumption in the Digital Environment: Methodological and Practical Problems]. Mediascope 4. (In Russian). Available at: www.mediascope.ru/2199 (accessed 07.03.2019).

Prokhorov E. P. (1984) Iskusstvo publitsistiki [The Art of Journalism]. Moscow: Sovetskiy pisatel’. (In Russian)

Prokhorov E. P. (1995) Vvedenie v teoriyu zhurnalistiki [Introduction to the Theory of Journalism]. Moscow: Moscow University Publ. (In Russian)

Prokhorov E. P. (2011) Vvedenie v teoriyu zhurnalistiki [Introduction to the Theory of Journalism]. Moscow: Aspect Press. (In Russian)

Prokhorov E. P., Gourevich S. M., Ibragimov A. H.—G. (1980) Vvedenie v teoriyu zhurnalistiki [Introduction to the Theory of Journalism]. Moscow: Vysshaya shkola. (In Russian)

Quan-Haase A., Young A. (2010) Uses and Gratifications of Social Media: A Comparison of Facebook and Instant Messaging. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society 30: 350—361. DOI: 10.1177/0270467610380009

Resnyanskaya L. L., Fomicheva I. D. (1999) Gazeta dlya vsey Rossii [Newspaper for the Whole Russia]. Moscow: ICAR. (In Russian)

Ruggiero T. E. (2000) Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st century. Mass Communication & Society 3 (1): 3—37.

Shao G. (2009) Understanding the Appeal of User-Generated Media: a Uses and Gratification Perspective. Internet Research 19 (1): 7—25.

Sharikov A. V., Ermolaeva O. Ya. (2016) Otechestvennaya sotsiologiya i media: retroperspektivnyj vzglyad (1765—200) [Domestic Sociology and the Media: a Retrospective View (1765-2000)]. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniya: Ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeni 4: 99—115. (In Russian)

Sundar S. S., Limperos A. M. (2013) Uses and Grats 2.0: New gratifications for new media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 57 (4): 504—525.

Svitich L. G. (2000) Fenomen zhurnalizma [Journalism Phenomenon]. Moscow: ICAR. (In Russian)

Taylor R. S. (1962) The Process of Asking Questions. American Documentation 4 (13): 391—396.

Vartanova E. L. (2003) Mediaekonomika zarubezhnykh stran [Media Economics of Foreign Countries]. Moscow: Aspect Press. (In Russian)

Vartanova E. L. (2005) Sovremennyj mediabiznes i fragmentiruyushiesya auditorii [Contemporary Media Business and Fragmented Audiences]. In E. L. Vartanova (eds.) Ekonomika i menedzhment SMI. Ezhegodnik 2005 [Economics and Media Management. Yearbook 2005]. Moscow: MediaMir. Pp. 59—81. (In Russian) 

Vartanova E. L. (2009) Teoriya SMI. Aktual’nye voprosy [Media Theory. Current Issues]. Moscow: MediaMir. (In Russian)

Vartanova E. L. (2019) Russian Media: a Call for Theorizing the Economic Change. Russian Journal of Communication. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19409419.2019.1572531 (accessed: 07.03.2019).

Vartanova E. L., Lukina, M. M., Svitich L. G., Shiryaeva A. A. (2010) Between Tradition and Innovation: Journalism Education in Russia. In B. Josephi  (eds.) Journalism Education in Countries with Limited Media Freedom. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. Pp. 199—216.

Vincent R. C., Basil M. D. (1997) College Students’ News Gratifications, Media Use, and current events knowledge. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 41 (3): 380—392.

Vyugina D. M. (2017) Osobennosti mediapotrebleniya tsifrovogo pokoleniya Rossii [The Features of Media Consumption of the Digital Generation of Russia]. Mediascope 4. (In Russian). Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2386 (accessed: 07.03.2019).

Vyugina D. M. (2018) Internet v ezhednevnom mediapotreblenii tsifrovogo pokoleniya Rossii [The Internet in the Daily Media Consumption of the Digital Generation of Russia]. Mediascope 3. (In Russian). Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2475 (accessed: 07.03.2019).

Wright C. R. (1974) Functional Analysis and Mass Communication Revisited. In J. G. Blumler, E. Katz (eds.) The Uses of Mass Communication. Beverly Hills: Sage Publication. Pp. 197—212.

Yadov V. A. (1998) Sotsiologiya v Rossii [Sociology in Russia]. Moscow: Institute of Sociology RAN Publishing. (In Russian)

Yesin B. I. (1969) Iz istorii vysshego zhurnalistskogo obrazovaniya [From the History of Higher Journalistic Education]. Vest. Mosk. un-ta. Ser. 10: Zhurnalistika 2: 81—83. (In Russian)

Zemlyanova L. M. (2004) Kommunikativistika i sredstva informatsii. Anglo-russkiy tolkovyy slovar’ kontseptsiy i terminov [Communication and Media. English-Russian Explanatory Dictionary of Concepts and Terms]. Moscow: Moscow University Publ. (In Russian)

Zhirkov G. V. (2010) Zhurnalistskaya nauka: ispytanie ideologiej i politikoj [Journalistic Science: Testing by Ideology and Politics]. In L. G. Feshchenko (ed.) Bibliograficheskiy ukazatel’ dissertatsiy po zhurnalistike: 1990—2008 [Bibliographic index of dissertations on journalism: 1990—2008]. St. Petersburg: SPBGU. (In Russian)