Media Dependency Theory

My husband and I made a trip to the temple last night, and it was an amazing experience as always.  But I did something that I think I realized for the first time...  The first thing I did after we got back to the car was check my cell phone!!!  After I realized what I had done, I thought it would make for a decent blog.

Questions for thought:

• What is the first thing you do when you leave the temple? 
• What other places can you think of that ask you to not bring in or silence media devices?
• Do you take your phone with you when you attend the temple (or church for that matter)?
• Are we media dependent?

Media dependency is defined something like this: the association between media, audience, and society.  There is "limited learning" from real people, and so we turn to media to essentially fulfill our needs.  Extensively using media then generates dependent relationships, but not all of the media relationships are equal - we do not treat all media the same way.  (Dependency Theory, 2014).

So am I - or are you - media dependent?  Do we think we will die without our cell phones, tablets, computers, iPods, or laptops?  The simple answer to these questions is "no."  Then why can we not go anywhere or do anything without them?

I would not consider myself "media dependent" per se, but I do feel kind of naked without my phone..  Granted, when I picked up my phone after the temple, I was just responding to my mother..  But still, that is not the point.

I hope (for my self anyway) that I know who I am without my phone.  That may sound silly, but it is a question you should ask yourself.  I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to the temple or church and had people's phones ring or vibrate - how annoying is that?  We should be just as bothered by allowing ourselves to not go a few minutes without technology.  

I am going to do better about taking a "personal inventory" on my technology use (when I use it, what I am doing, etc).  Sounds so time consuming, but I think it would really help to be truly aware of my media use.  Are we becoming a media dependent people/society?

Anyway, food for thought!  Just remember - the temple is a no cell phone zone, in AND outside.

Sources:

Dependency Theory. (2014, September 10). Retrieved September 18, 2014, from http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory clusters/Media, Culture and Society/Dependency Theory-1/.