Date of Completion
5-8-2026
Degree Type
Honors Thesis - Campus Access
Discipline
Communication Studies (CMST)
First Advisor
Dr. Ivy Fofie
Abstract
The rise of streaming platforms has altered how audiences watch and engage with films. The recent Paramount merger with Warner Brothers pushes the unwavering future of the movie theatre experience as new movie releases are slowly turning to streaming. Despite these challenges, movie theatres still cultivate an impact with audiences, with social media becoming an integrative tool for anticipation, engagement, and shared audience connection in the cinema-going experience. The thesis will use the Uses and Gratification theory and Expectancy Value Theory to examine how social media influences cinema-goers’ expectations and to measure cognitive, affective, and integrative gratifications throughout the cinema-going experience, as well as the overall value of social media. In doing so, it addresses the central research question of how does social media integrate into, enhance, and create value for cinema-goers’ personal experiences?
Recommended Citation
Chapman, Sevilla and Fofie, Ivy, "Social Media and the Cinema-Going Experience" (2026). Honors Thesis. 611.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/honors-thesis/611
