Strategically Communicating

As I read this week’s article Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century by Thomas E. Ruggiero and Convergence Culture:Where Old and New Media Collide several things struck me.
1. We know so little about how people access the media outlets and what they do with the information gained in media time even though people’s reasons and needs met by media haven’t changed. If anything the proliferation of media has increased our needs for what media provides in surveillance, learning,and connection. The sheer amount of time spent checking in on social media platforms, cell phones, and chat groups I suspect for most people outweighs the amount of time they spend connecting with people in touching distance.
2.I was struck by the discussion of product placement, since this is a very old and common marketing strategy existing in television since the beginning with TV personalities hocking wares themselves, along with oh so careful and obvious use of sponsoring products. TV personalities no longer read scripts true,but product placement is not new,could it be we are scanning for it now? Why does the fact we notice ourselves noticing product placement brother people so much? Does noticing the placement and how we feel about that change what we do with it?