Connecting Media Dependency Theories: An Integrative Review of the Uses and Dependency Model, Internet Use and Dependency Model, and New Media Uses and Dependency Effect Model

This integrative review examines the theoretical evolution and empirical applications of three interconnected media dependency frameworks: the foundational Uses and Dependency Model, Internet Use and Dependency adaptations, and the New Media Uses and Dependency Effect Model. Drawing on 30 peer-reviewed studies spanning five decades, the review traces how dependency theory has evolved from explaining mass media effects in centralized broadcast systems to accounting for interactive, ubiquitous, and habitual digital media use. The foundational model established that media effects emerge from goal-directed dependency relations embedded in tripartite audience–media–society relationships, with understanding, orientation, and play as primary audience goals. Internet adaptations extended these principles to digital affordances—interactivity, comprehensiveness, and perpetual availability—while shifting the unit of analysis from media systems to specific platforms.The New Media Uses and Dependency Effect Model further refined causal mechanisms by integrating habitual use as a precursor to dependency and specifying mediation pathways linking habit to cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes through dependency intensity. This review synthesizes theoretical continuities, identifies key innovations across models, presents comparative analyses, and discusses empirical evidence, critical limitations, and future research directions. The analysis demonstrates that while all three frameworks retain the core logic of goal-oriented dependency, they progressively incorporate finer-grained mechanisms—platform attributes, perceived utility, and habitual patterns—that enable more precise operationalization and testing in contemporary digital environments.