“Tik Tok you don’t stop”: Social Media Consumption and Criminal Justice Students’ Perceptions of Police

• In Event: Media, Gaming, and Social Networks

Abstract

Recent high-profile events of police misconduct have drawn greater attention and strong public response. When incidents of police violence are filmed by citizens and posted to social media, they are often circulated in other media outlets. Such negative portrayals of police may bias students’ interest in pursuing a criminal justice career. Using a sample of college students majoring in criminal justice, this study aims to explore the impact of social media consumption and viewing police misconduct videos and their attitudes toward the police. Participants responded to a questionnaire that included viewing habits on social media (amount, platforms, content), whether they validate or “fact check” the media content, and positive and negative perceptions/attitudes toward police. More than 70% of participants reported using Instagram and TikTok as their primary sources of information daily. 63% obtained their news from social media rather than traditional media, and most who viewed citizen-filmed police misconduct did not “fact-check.” The frequency of viewing police violence videos on social media negatively affected participants' attitudes toward police. The findings can be used to educate students on media bias and information literacy to gain a more balanced understanding of police work.

Authors

• Ko-Hsin Hsu, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

• Melanie Clark Mogavero, Georgian Court University