Beyond The Screen: Mapping Friendship Dynamics in American TV

Christina Hamilton; Amy Pezoldt; Daniel Buonadonna; Gianna Degracia; Marina Klimenko; Emily Marton

doi:10.32473/ufjur.26.135317

Beyond The Screen

Mapping Friendship Dynamics in American TV

Authors

Christina Hamilton Student https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0774-3727
Amy Pezoldt University of Florida Graduate https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4827-511X
Daniel Buonadonna University of Florida Student https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9678-6292
Gianna Degracia University of Florida Student
Marina Klimenko University of Florida Lecturer https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0735-3020
Emily Marton University of Florida Student https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1945-9523

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32473/ufjur.26.135317

Keywords:

Content Analysis, Friendship, Gender Differences, Generational Differences, TV

Abstract

This study examined communication between friends across generations in the most popular TV shows from the 1990s to 2022. The five highest grossing American TV shows and sitcoms were chosen and coded for friends’ self-disclosure, expression of empathy, perspective/advice, critique, appreciation, and complimenting. Demographic characteristics of the characters were also recorded. The results showed a significant increase in self-disclosure from the 1990s to late-2000s, but not for early-2000s; as well as an increase in male characters’ expressing empathy. Female characters increased in giving perspective in late-2000s and complimenting their friends in early- and late-2000s. However, female dyadic interactions remained to be the least frequent.

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Font cover of the 2024 UF Journal of Undergraduate Research: Images of cell nuclei visualized in different colors.

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Published

2024-10-16

Issue

Vol. 26 (2024): UF Journal of Undergraduate Research

Section

Social & Behavioral Sciences, Business, Education

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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