Characteristics and Media Usage

Every person born receives certain characteristics that help them to interact and communicate with others. Not everyone is born with the same characteristics. These personal and individual characteristics also influence ones behavior as to why and how they use media. This means that because everyone has different characteristics everyone will use media in his own unique way that may be different than others. There are many different sources of media. According to a communications website, Oasis, it cites a few of these media sources as the television, radio, movies, print (magazines, newspapers, etc), internet, etc. I am different in my use of media than others because I use my time to use media that is more informative than entertaining, and that may not take as much time to consume compared to other media. An example is the newspaper. This difference comes from my personal characteristic that I like to learn and be informed, but I also do not like to waste a lot of time. These characteristics are different than others and directly affect how I use the media.

A theory developed to explain the correlation between individual characteristics and how these characteristics function in determining the type of media that will be consumed. This theory is called the entertainment, information, and time management theory. This is a personal theory theorized by Andrew Graff. It is a diagram that can be used to help explain the correlation between individual characteristics, and how each person uses media. This theory, the entertainment, information, and time management theory is best represented by a triangle. Picture a triangle, at one corner there is a label which says, “time,” and the other two corners labeled, “information,” and “entertainment.” This is a semi-elastic triangle where the time is the only point that moves. There is only so much time to be spent. Individual characteristics help to determine how that time is used to consume media. The “time” point can move toward the information point, toward the entertainment point, or somewhere in between or it can even be stretched out if the person spends their time not using the media to receive information of entertainment. Theoretically, the triangle is seeking for equilibrium, which is where the triangle is trying to stay in balance with all of the other corners, and will look like a nice and normal triangle. When the triangle is at equilibrium a person’s life is balanced between their use of time management on consuming information, and entertainment seeking. But not everyone’s desires and individual characteristics are the same. This means that each person’s individual triangle will always look different. This difference in shape of the triangle directly correlates with how a person uses the media.

If I was to use the entertainment, information, and time management theory to draw my personal triangle to view how I used my time in using informative and entertaining media, the time point would be more on the informative side than the entertaining side. I do not watch a lot of television or movies, but I do read the newspaper. By reading the newspaper I can find the articles I want fast. One of the reasons I use media this way is the time factor. According to the Darmouth University website, it says concerning time management, “Many students discover the need to develop or hone their time management skills when they arrive at college. Unlike high school where teachers frequently structured your assignments and classes filled your day, in college, you will have less in-class time, more outside of class work, and a great deal of freedom and flexibility.” I have felt that time is very important. It is not the same as being in high school where a student could come home after school and sports practice and watch television with their family for many hours. Because my desire to be informed is very strong I use media that would inform me more than entertain me.

Although I love to be informed I also enjoy entertainment, but due to personal characteristics I do not spend a lot of my time consuming entertainment media. On the other hand, my family is the complete opposite. They love entertainment. They live for entertainment. All of their time is spent being entertained. Because our characteristics differ, our triangles look differently, and we use media differently. For example, my family on average watches around three to five movies a week.

In conclusion, the media can be used in many different ways. People are different. One important variable that affects the way individuals use media is personal characteristics. Because individuals are unique, I do not fully believe in the powerful effect theories. According to an online website it describes one powerful effects theory called the magic bullet. The theory works, “by injecting the message directly into the “bloodstream” of the public, attempting to create a uniform thinking.” This means that one message works for all. People are not unique that if the message being sent out is persuasive to one person it will be persuasive to everyone. I believe that we are all different, and that the media does have an influence on us when we want it too.

Works Cited
Retrieved October 24, 2007, http://oasis.fiu.edu/Ch8/ch8page3.htm Retrieved October 24, 2007, http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/Speech/rccs/theory29.htm Retrieved October 24, 2007, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/time.html