Media Dependency Theory

     The 'Media Dependency' theory was developed by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur in 1976. The basic hypothesis is that the more a person depend on the media to meet the needs, the more important the media is in  his life and therefore the more the effect the media has on that person. There are three media needs that a person has; to understand what is going on in the world around them, learn how to act meaningfully and effectively and also as a form of escapism.

I will be letting you guys know a bit more about myself by giving you examples of how I fulfill all three of those needs using the media and what it means to me. It is my hope that this blog posting will encourage you to think more about how much you rely on the media and the effects it has on you whether it maybe negative or positive.

First and foremost is the 'surveillance' function of the media. Arguably it is one of the most important need that I have. On a daily basis I approximate that I spend an average of an hour on Facebook and that is excluding the time when I'm logged into Facebook while I go about doing other task on my computer. I am also an avid reader of National Geographic to learn more about the world around us. My radio will always be on whenever I am driving and not to mention the newspapers which I make it a point to read everyday. The surveillance function that the media plays is a vital requirement for my daily activities. I cannot imagine living in a world so confined and removed from everything, not knowing what is going on around me and across borders. It serves as a perspective guide to me so I can get a broader view on everything. It also allows me to know what everyone is up to, because I'll admit, Facebook is sometimes irresistible even in classes at times.

For the second need, to act meaningfully and effectively, I suppose a good example would be about the blog post that I posted before this. It was about a book that had helped me through some tough times. It made me realize that I should rethink the principles and values I stand up for. Aside from that book, another example would be awareness advertisements as well.

As a form of escapism, I sometimes withdraw back into music when I am stressed or simply just to relax. The movies I watch also serve as a form of escapism, a good two and a half hours of 'The Lord of The Ring' takes me into a world of elves and dwarves. Just for that couple hours, I allow myself to be immersed in it for entertainment sake as well. Also another form of escapism that I cannot leave out is the internet. Whether it maybe Facebook, YouTube or Yahoo!, the internet is a major medium for escapism for me.

So there we have it, I think it's safe to assume that the media plays a major role in my life. The question is whether I have a control over this role it plays. Do you?