Uses and Gratifications

Eastenders
In order for the uses and gratifications model to work the audience needs to be active to make decisions and form opinions about the text that they are consuming. Everyone will make different decisions based on their background, needs and desires etc. This means that audiences chose to consume texts that make them feel good/that they enjoy.
Eastenders is a soap shown on BBC1 most weekday nights. It is a programme illustrating the drama in the life living in Walford on 'The Square'. I choose to watch Eastenders because of the different uses and gratifications i get from watching it. One of the main uses and gratifications i get from it that it is that it enables me to escape/divert from life's problems, to relax and to entertain myself. I, and many people enjoy watching Eastenders as it focuses on other peoples lives, even though it's fictional and allows me to forget my own problems just for the 30 minutes duration of the programme. Even though some of the plot is very unrealistic i enjoy watching what a very dramatic lifestyle could be like. If there was no drama in the programme i probably wouldn't watch it as it would be boring and uninteresting, with nothing to build up to. Eastenders also enables viewers to find models of behaviour and identify with their already gained values. Although the plot is fictional the characters are very relatable and there is something for everyone to relate to. Recently there was a character in Eastenders collecting her A level results, which of course was very relatable for many students at that time. The BBC aired this episode around the days that everyone in the country was collecting their results so it gave the show a sense of realism for me. By doing this, it allowed me as an audience to connect with Abi, and empathise with how she was feeling. The range of characters also makes Eastenders appealing to a large audience, there is a character for everyone to relate to. There are younger characters such as Lauren and Whitney who go to college, making it more relatable for college students like me as issues can be brought up like exams etc. and there are also the older characters who have had a place in the soap for a long time such as Dot, who the older generation will know well and be familiar with. Soaps can also satisfy curiosity and interest. for example, at times of the year like Christmas, soaps tend to be advertised more often as the drama hits the climax. Last year Derek Branning's death was hinted at in adverts and many people may have wanted to see the outcome. The use of adverts only showing clips of the story can attract more and more new viewers to the programme. A final, main reason people may watch soap opera's is because it enables them to connect with family, friends and society and can also help to find a basis for conversation and social interaction. Social media sites play a large part in peoples lives now and when a non-viewer see's tweets/status' about a certain programme, they don't want to feel left out and may watch to find a basis for conversation with their peers. When school friends/work colleagues talk about the latest episode of a programme you don't want to be the one left out and are left with an urge to watch it.