Measuring Internet Dependency

Abstract

Internet dependency measures need to be refined from the previous measurements with regard to media dependency in order to more fully understand relations with the Internet and how the population uses the Internet to facilitate adaptation into a constantly changing culture. The bases for this study will be media system dependency theory, however, there are new concepts that need to be refined in order to build a greater understanding of how dependencies vary with types of media. The application included in this chapter tries to identify how users of the Internet learn information about culture and, therefore, facilitate their adaptation into the information age. With regard to Internet dependency, findings show that Internet goals, unlike those posited in the media system dependency literature (namely, understanding, orientation, and play) were better identified as goals related to Information, Communication, Entertainment, and News.