Mood Management Theory
Upon the first glimpse of mood management theory, I thought it was going to be about how to stabilize oneself’s moods and emotions. After reading more about it I came to realize it is more about how consumption of different media messages are capable of of altering prevailing moods. This theory was first introduced by Zillman and Bryant in 1988. They stated that we select media to optimize our current state. Different exposures to various media messages can create the viewer to feel specific emotions and moods. Most of us viewing different forms of media subconsciously select media that supplements our mood. It has been proven that media can create relief from unwanted mood states. For example have you ever noticed when you’re bored you tend to select media that has exciting content? This phenomenon happens because of natural physiological function for individuals to attempt to gain mood homeostasis. This is the extent to which a person preferentially engages with mood increasing activities. We always try to balance our effective state, therefore we selectively choose media to keep us at our optimal mood. Now, most of us do these acts subconsciously or without really thinking about it in the moment. I have found myself wondering that now since I have been exposed to this knowledge that I’ll begin to select media differently. I have noticed since taking a couple of media effects classes now that I digest media, especially political news, much differently now. The first thing I thought of when reading about how we select different television shows to optimize our mood is how we use social media to do the same thing.
We all use social media for a variety of reasons, whether you post a lot or just be scrolling, we all use it to make us feel something. Like I said before media, no matter what form of medium it is coming from has the ability to create relief from unwanted mood states. We want entertainment and enjoyment from these platforms. We wake up and go to sleep with our phones in our hands because we’re attempting to search for that perfect mood homeostasis. If you’re laying in bed would you rather lay there staring at the ceiling thinking about stuff or would you rather be scrolling through your phone increasing your mood by feeling different ways as we view others posts. What makes me so curious about effects potentially of the mood management theory is how it will effect future generations. As we all know technology continues to rapidly grow and as decades go on we look at different generations and can spot the differences in how thy think and act. It makes me wonder how future generations will think and act because of how we think and act today. It’s hard to wrap your head around but our need for pleasurious feelings and emotions will continue to grow. As more and more kids continue to be exposed to technology as a younger and younger age this will have to have some sort of long term effects for future generations. I feel as though future generations will be wired mentally different than we are today but having to continuously search for for media to increase their current state or enjoyment of something for most hours of the day. Even if we look back less than 100 years ago in the 1930’s, right after television was invented, what do you think people back then would say if we told them the average person in 2020 consumes on average 10 hours a day of media between their phone and television. They’d look at you crazy and wonder how they can afford to even care for their family doing that for such a large portion of their day, everyday. Things 100 years from now would make us think the same way, so it will be quite intriguing as we go on in time how people will change and if these theories brought to our attention in the 1980’s will be amplified.
