The Angle Through The Rings: College Students’ Perception Of The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games

Abstract

When the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, shutdowns occurred across the globe to protect human lives, including the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to July 2021. Despite Japan locking down its citizens for months leading up to the opening ceremonies and members of the media calling for the Games to be cancelled, the Olympics still occurred, opening the door for various citizens around the world to give their opinions after the event concluded. This thesis examines the opinions of college students attending Middle Tennessee State University who were surveyed shortly after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to gain opinions on public perception and the framing effects used by media outlets that covered the delayed Olympiad. An independent sample t-test found that students born outside of the United States of America had a higher enjoyment level than those born in the U.S.A., but the results were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Although inconclusive, the data set has provided insight into opinions of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, compared the similarities and differences between USA-born college students and students born outside of the country, and has provided a relevant framework for future studies to be conducted on college students and future Olympics.