The “Uses & Gratifications” theory of audience suggests, unlike the hypodermic needle model, that the audience determines what to do with the media rather than the media simply influencing the audience directly.

When an audience actively seeks media, they want to gratify a need – the message of the media is not being forced on them as such, they are choosing to interpret its message.

The main idea is that media does not fully control a helpless audience, but rather the media is subjective per person as they use it to meet needs. (It is essentially the opposite of the hypodermic needle model).

Surveillance- the idea that people feel better knowing what is going on in the world around them.

Personal Identity- People seek someone to represent themselves in a media, for example associating themselves with characters in a TV drama and connecting with their perspective.

Diversion (Escapism)- Consuming media to get away from our own lives and stresses, generally to relax or cheer up.

Media in relationships- TV programmes are a common conversation starter, on the other hand the connection with characters is a relationship within the media.

This theory expands upon the uses & gratifications model and suggests that the more an individual uses media to gratify their needs, the more dependent on it they become, and the more influence that media will have over the person and their opinions.

Additionally people become more dependent on media which gratifies many of their needs faster rather than a few.

Individuals are likely to become more dependent on a particular media if they have few alternatives to meet the same needs.

The theory has been subject of criticism: for one, it suggests that media producers hold no responsibility for the effect their media has on someone – it is dependent on the audience rather than carrying a particular message or interpretation.

Additionally the theory does not account for socio-cultural context of media, instead applying a media to a person on an individual level ignoring “trends”.

Uses & Gratifications is likely more applicable to zombie horror than models such as the hypodermic needle model, due to its suggestion that media is a means to an end.

As zombie horror as a genre generally is not dependent on its message or moral connotations, it is the content (often violence) that the viewer watches it for, it is subjective as to why a consumer would watch a zombie film – and often the viewer will watch the film in full knowledge of its content and potential effect as media.