Media Dependency, User Satisfaction and Digital Information Challenges Among College Students in Cainta, Rizal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20094403Keywords:
Digital Information Challenges, Media Dependency, Media Literacy, Social Media Use, User SatisfactionAbstract
This study investigates the levels of media dependency, user satisfaction, and digital information challenges in social media use among college students in Cainta, Rizal, it also examined differences across profile variables and explored the relationship between media dependency and user satisfaction. Students today rely heavily on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. This dependency exposes them to issues including misinformation, cognitive overload, and technical barriers. This study addresses the gap of localized research integrating these variables into a unified framework among Filipino college students and proposes a practical action plan to strengthen media literacy in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were gathered from 355 college students from University of Rizal System – Cainta Campus, One Cainta College, Cainta Catholic College and STI College through a self-made survey questionnaire and analyzed using frequency and percentage, weighted mean with standard deviation, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Pearson’s r correlation coefficient. Findings revealed a high level of media dependency, particularly in integration into daily life, and a very high level of user satisfaction, with technical accessibility and information quality as key contributors. Respondents also experienced digital information challenges, especially misinformation and cognitive load. There is no significant difference in media dependency, user satisfaction, and digital information challenges when respondents are grouped according to their profile, except for social media usage duration and a significant relationship existed between media dependency and user satisfaction (p < .001).
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