The influence of social media consumption on college students’ perceived commitment to the police occupation

ABSTRACT Social media has become increasingly popular among the young generation. Previous research suggests that social media consumption is correlated with fear of crime and punitive attitudes toward criminal offenders. Yet, little is known about whether social media consumption influences perceived commitment to the police occupation among young generations. This is particularly important since the police profession is currently experiencing a ‘workforce crisis.’ Using a convenient sample of approximately 300 young adults, the current study examines the link between social media exposure and police occupational commitment after controlling for the key audience characteristics. Findings reveal that the longer time that individuals spend on social media, the less likely they would attach to the police occupation. Their commitment to the police occupation is also influenced by their knowledge of police work, including police work personality and the police-citizen relationship. Implications for future research and police departments are discussed in the end.