UMSS20 Student Profile: Olivia Reese

Olivia Reese, Media Studies
How 280 character changed the world: Crime, Twitter, and New Perception
Mentored by Judith Rosenbaum-Andre

Olivia Reese is studying the impacts that Twitter has on college students’ perceptions of crime and news. This idea came about from when researchers in the 1960’s looked at the ways in which television affected people’s views of the world around them.

“I think moving this theory further forward into the modern age will help us understand the world of social media, as it helped researchers back in the 60’s understand the impact media have on the world,” says Reese.

“It’s important that we continue to question how social media is influencing us in ways we might not be aware of. If we can understand how we are influenced or the impact it leaves, we may be able to better ourselves and not only understand the consequences, but utilize social media better as users and consumers.”