media dependency social phenomenon Written by Manuel Hernández-Pérez Contributor to SAGE Publications's The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society (2020) whose work appears in Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with SAGE. Manuel Hernández-Pérez Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated May 8, 2026 •History The term media dependency refers to the setting of engagement responses among individuals and a particular medium or set of media. The process behind media dependency implies a sequence where individuals approach a media source because they are attracted by its content. In a later stage, when individuals seek out content influenced by individual differences, the individual evaluation of the appeal of the content takes place, and other social structures play a regulatory role. Audiences,...

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