Making Sense of Mediated Sexuality: Examining the Perceptions of First-Year College Students

Studies have explored the effects of messages regarding sexuality on adolescents, but large quantitative studies often ignore the nuanced sensemaking of audiences, whereas smaller qualitative studies may lack generalizability. Drawing on sensemaking theory and receiver-oriented message analysis, this study featured a thematic analysis of responses collected during an activity for first-year college students enrolled in a professional media program (N = 312) where participants were asked to critically analyze sexuality representation in their favorite media content. Responses revealed three main themes in their reception of messages from their favorite media: (1) heterosexuality is normalized, (2) representations of queerness vary, and (3) representations of sexuality are still evolving. Some students approached messages with a critical lens and were eager to consider their role in future representations, whereas others – despite recognizing limited representation – observed and rationalized hegemonically heterosexual content.