You’ve Never Seen Friends? The Lack of Common Media Experiences Among First Semester Mass Communication Students

This study examines whether mass communication students share common media experiences, given the increasing fragmentation of media consumption. A survey of 234 students across five universities assessed preferences in television, film, books, music, and video games. Findings reveal limited shared media experiences, with video games offering the most commonality. The results underscore the need for mass communication instructors to adapt pedagogy to evolving media habits.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journalism & Mass Communication Educator
Published
2026-04-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958261433107
Primary Topic
Communication in Education and Healthcare
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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You’ve Never Seen Friends? The Lack of Common Media Experiences Among First Semester Mass Communication Students

Jeremy Sarachan, Olushola Aromona, Nomi Morris, Lisa Carponelli et al.
Journalism & Mass Communication Educator
Communication in Education and Healthcare
article

You’ve Never Seen Friends? The Lack of Common Media Experiences Among First Semester Mass Communication Students

Jeremy Sarachan, Olushola Aromona, Nomi Morris, Lisa Carponelli, Marti Maguire
article en

Abstract

This study examines whether mass communication students share common media experiences, given the increasing fragmentation of media consumption. A survey of 234 students across five universities assessed preferences in television, film, books, music, and video games. Findings reveal limited shared media experiences, with video games offering the most commonality. The results underscore the need for mass communication instructors to adapt pedagogy to evolving media habits.

Journalism & Mass Communication Educator
University of California, Santa Barbara (US), South Dakota State University (US), Simpson College (US), William Peace University (US), St. John Fisher University (US)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 13%
Communication in Education and Healthcare
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