A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE THEORY OF USE AND GRATIFICATION IN ONLINE COMMUNICATION

Abstract

This paper presents a critical insight into the theoretical basis and implication of the theory of use and gratification in the context of online communication. As a starting point in this review we take this theory claim that the recipient of a message is responsible for the potential effects exerted by the message itself. In this context, we emphasise the distinction between so-called the first paradigm in which the message itself had a dominant role and the theoretical approach development in the period from 1940 to 1960. Thanks to the development of new communication technologies we make a focus on the research whose aim was to investigate the relationship between traditional forms of social behavior and social communication via the Internet, ie. whether individuals who have a high level of social communication behave the same in the virtual space, or perhaps possibilities of the Internet, privacy and anonymity make it more used by people who have problems with traditional forms of social communication.