Understanding media system dependency in the Information Age: The digital ripple effect

Media have traditionally had tremendous power over individuals seeking information. Media System Dependency Theory (MSD) suggests that print and broadcast media utilize their resources to retrieve, package, and distribute information to audiences. Individuals depend on media to attain what would otherwise be scarce information. In the wake of a digital revolution, new media (i.e., the Internet) have provided countless avenues for information retrieval. This study suggests that a digital ripple effect is changing the relationship between media and individuals and sheds light on the implications these changes may have on MSD.;Today, digital media allow individuals to select the types of information they wish to retrieve. The power to choose ultimately reduces the reliance individuals once had on traditional media, thus changing the dependency relationship. This is a significant observation considering the stronghold traditional media have had over scarce information.;This study sought to shed light on the issue by quantitatively measuring individual dependence on traditional and digital media. The focus was the concept of reactivity, which means messages are sent back and forth and cohere with one another. Digital media are considered to be more reactive than traditional media. The goal was to find out what part reactivity plays in the dependency relationship between media and audience?;It was discovered that participants who viewed digital reactive media reported higher levels of affective and cognitive media dependence than any other group. Participants that viewed digital non-reactive media reported the lowest levels of affective and cognitive media dependence. Those who viewed traditional reactive and non-reactive media showed little difference in their media dependence. Reactivity proved to play a significant role in the level of dependence in digital realms, but surprisingly not in traditional realms. This study failed to connect all of the implications of reactivity on the relationship between audience and media; rather it touched the surface of exploration into the future of media.;Individuals use media everyday, often without thinking of the dependence they have established with the source. It is important for media scholars to investigate media effects and recognize the power media have traditionally held over the audience. Likewise, individuals should be made aware of the implication media have on their day-to-day lives and views of the world around them. This research will hopefully act as a springboard for further inquiry into the power individuals have to retrieve information through media.