As discussed in class, media usage over the past decade has grown exponentially. People consume different types of media over a myriad of platforms and devices. Shows that were once only available at a certain time on singular networks can now be viewed at the consumers leisure with services such as Video On Demand (VOD), HULU, Netflix, and thousands of different websites and file sharing services. With all the freedom of watching programs whenever you desire, many companies send media messages that can control and dictate the way we, the consumers, view the world. Different movies and TV shows can make us see the world in ways that can sometimes be far from the truth; thinking that the father is always the bread winner or that a woman’s role is to take care of the children and the household are common themes that many programs make us believe are universal truths. Media messages can also make us feel a certain way about the characters of a particular program; those feelings can sometimes even be transferred from the screen to our psyche and can make us react in certain ways. But how do we know this? How can we observe these things and use them to combat the messages different providers send our way? Today, I will be discussing how two media theories, Uses and Gratification and Excitation Transfer, can be explained using a popular ABC program Once Upon A Time. Next, I will compare and contrast theses different media theories. Finally, I will explain how policy maker, media sources, and we as the consumers can be more educated on the messages that are sent from different programming. Many of us who watch television programming watch for different reasons. We watch it because we can fully relate to a character or because everyone at school or work will be talking about it the next day. Some of us watch certain shows to be connected with people we hold dear to us