Influence of Social Context on Media Selection and Use

Abstract

This entry reviews the literature on how social context influences media use and effects. It first introduces the differential susceptibility to media effects model (DSMM), which articulates three levels of social susceptibility at the micro‐, meso‐, and macro‐levels. In reviewing the literature, the entry sorts existing research into these levels in order to contextualize the overall body of work. In terms of micro‐level social susceptibility, a number of studies have examined how parents can mediate their children's media use in the moment of exposure, thereby influencing children's learning from media. This entry also reviews a smaller set of studies that consider how children coviewing with other children influence attention and learning from media. For meso‐level social susceptibility, the entry reviews studies pertaining to the effect of family communication patterns on media selections in the home environment. Finally, for macro‐level social susceptibility, it considers studies that examine how media use and effects differ as a function of culture, given differences in social norms as a function of culture and cultural values. Altogether, this review underscores the importance of understanding how social context, at all three levels, can influence individuals' media choices, as well as their responses to media.

Examining the Effects of Media-Generated Stereotypes on Receivers’ Trust and Attitude in Pakistan. Moderating Influence of Ethnicity and Gender

“…Further, social susceptibility has been described as the influence of social and contextual factors on one's choice of and receptiveness to media-generated content [24]. The DSSM assumed that the social factors may act on an interpersonal level (e.g., peers), institutional (e.g., University), and societal contexts (e.g., ethnicity) [24,39]. These ecological elements could confine or encourage one's exposure to media-generated content.…”

“…Though, the impact of these developmental dimensions becomes minute in the middle or older age [28,38]. In older age, developmental dimensions are certainly confounded with situational variables (e.g., profession) that could influence more intensely to regulate media usage [39].…”