The Relationship between Media Influence and Attitudes Toward LGBT People among University Students in Japan

New media has significantly advanced the visibility and understanding of LGBT issues. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between new and traditional media influence and university students’ attitudes toward LGBT individuals in Japan. A total of 201 students (mean age = 20.3 years, SD = 1.467) from a Japanese university participated in a survey assessing personal information, opinions on media influence, duration of media use, and attitudes toward LGBT individuals. The results indicated a clear dominance of new media platforms in shaping participants’ opinions. Furthermore, those who actively use new media tend to have more positive attitudes towards LGBT people. In contrast, those who more frequently use traditional media, such as television, tend to have more negative attitudes. These findings suggest that new media might play a crucial role in fostering more progressive social attitudes, likely due to their diverse content and interactive nature.