Uses and Gratifications: Information

Many people use different sources to gather information about various subjects, whether it be what's currently happening in the world, what the latest review is on a particular film or album or even celebrity news; there's sources to provide this information as and when the audience need/want it.

I use IMDb to see what new films are out at the cinema, what's coming soon, and it's also a database for every film and gives you recommendations based on the film you search. Most of all, I use IMDb for the movie reviews and the ratings of a movie. If a film has a poor rating and poor reviews, I'm less inclined to buy the DVD or watch the film, however if a film has good reviews then I'll usually watch it, so the reviews people write influence me - this is linked with two-step flow. Two-step flow is the theory that people are more swayed towards something if influenced by an opinion leader. I'd be more inclined to watch a film where the opinion leaders had written a good review and rated the film highly and therefore I'm being swayed by that individuals personal opinion.