Abstract

The cultivation effects of television viewing have been studied extensively by George Gerbner and his colleagues. However, there appears to be a lack of research exploring the cultivation effects of social media on its users. This article explores the effects of Facebook use through the lens of cultivation theory. It concentrates on perceptions of Muslims in Australia as a current and contentious social issue. Although academic research on the cultivation effects of Facebook use is still in its infant stage, conflicting ideas have already emerged. Some believe Facebook has replaced television as the medium which binds diverse communities together into a shared culture. Others claim the social networking site divides users based on content preferences. Findings from this research project suggest that Facebook content, if consumed habitually or in the absence of critical thinking, can cultivate one-sided perceptions on contentious social issues. This in turn can result in hostile constructions of ‘us against them’ attitudes among groups with differing opinions on such issues. The identified cultivation effects of Facebook use indicate a possible division in society that transcends competing viewpoints on contentious social issues. This finding seems to contradict the cultivation effects of television viewing where researchers claim that twentieth-century audiences ‘mainstreamed’ towards shared attitudes and beliefs.