Social Media and Public Opinion on Gun Control Public Policies

• In Event: Attitudes about Protecting and Punishing Youth and Young Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to learn whether social media usage shapes public opinion on gun control. Given its widespread use in politics and sensationalism of newsworthy events such as mass shootings, I investigate whether usage of certain social media outlets, frequency of usage, and being active on mainstream social media influence support for or opposition to various forms of gun control. To date, this investigation serves as the first of its kind.

I ground our investigation in cultivation theory. Cultivation theory posits that long-term exposure to television influences society’s perception of the real world (Gerbner, 1969). Over time, exposure results in desultory learning (Mosharaf, 2015). Thus, social media consumption may have a positive relationship with negative perceptions of the real world (mean world hypothesis). I contend that the more active social media users are, the more likely they will see the world as a dangerous or negative place, hence, support gun control.

Author

• Maruice Mangum, Jackson State University