Cultivating Adulthood Prejudice Toward Black Americans and Low-Income Individuals Through Childhood Social Media Use: A Retrospective Approach

ABSTRACT

Previous research has linked lifetime media use with intergroup prejudice. Our studies extend previous findings by linking current intergroup prejudice (race, social class) with retrospectively reported media use in specific life stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood). Across two surveys (n = 293; n = 369), we found childhood social media use, but not adolescence or adulthood social media use, significantly predicted participants’ current prejudicial attitudes toward Black individuals and low-income individuals, mediated through social dominance orientation. Additionally, overall lifetime social media use was associated with positive and negative racial attitudes through social dominance orientation. However, findings with lifetime TV use were mixed. Neither of indirect effects between overall lifetime TV use, social dominance orientation, and racial attitudes (or income egalitarianism) was statistically significant. Further, neither of these indirect effects with TV use in specific life stages was significant. Overall, the present findings call for attention on contemporary media in addition to traditional media in cultivation research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ Cronbach α is not available for this measure as it is a weighted index.

² The same weighing formula was used as in Riddle (2010).

³ Study 1 participants were excluded from the recruitment pool for Study 2.

⁴ These latter two models are saturated models and by definition have perfect global model fit.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shay Xuejing Yao

Dr. Shay Yao is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University who studies media psychology and health communication.

Nikki McClaran

Dr. Nikki McClaran is an assistant professor in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University who studies how and why media impact health beliefs and behaviors.

Morgan E. Ellithorpe

Dr. Morgan Ellithorpe is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at University of Delaware. Her research focuses on media psychology and health communication.

David Ewoldsen

Dr. David Ewoldsen is a professor in the Department of Media & Information at Michigan State University. His research primarily deals with media psychology.

Fashina Alade

Dr. Fashina Aladé is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising & Public Relations at Michigan State University who studies the impact of media on child development.