Grinder, Madison2023-06-082023-06-082023-05-19https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/59370Over the course of the past few decades, it is no surprise that the general public has changed how it consumes political news. When the most common source of political information shifted from print and radio to television and the Internet, political news consumption became more accessible than ever before. However, this shift additionally introduced an influx of misleading political content in tandem with traditional political information that made it more challenging for consumers to decipher facts from opinions. Many factors play into how political news is consumed among the general public, and more specifically how college-aged students use modern-day technology and media to consume what they determine to be political news. However, with so much information available at the touch of a screen, the line between fact and fiction becomes skewed. In their prime years of developing their own thoughts and opinions, are the new ways college students are consuming political media harming or helping the development of their political identity? Are college students feeling inclined to take part in political activism, or has modern? day media created a distaste for traditional forms of political action among college-aged students? Different generations are involved with political media at different levels for a variety of reasons. For example, college students during the late 1900s were arguably more politically active or inclined to consume political news to develop their political identity due to specific events in their political culture, such as the Vietnam War. When taking the current events that are shaping the political culture of today's college students, such as issues pertaining to the insurrection of 2022 or the COVID-19 pandemic, it is worth questioning how modern political culture influences the average college student's consumption of political news. Furthermore, it is fair to say that not every college student is in their prime years of forming their own political identity. However, studies have shown that college is one of the most common times in an adolescent's life when political commitment/activism and identity formation take place (Yates and Youniss, 2010). This study will dig deep into how college students, specifically at Texas Christian University, feel about their political identity and what avenues they take to seek out political information.