Media

Seyma Sarikaya

Hopecore: How Exposure to Prosocial Films Affects Human Behavior

A front-facing headshot of a woman with medium skin, dark brown eyes, and long, glossy dark brown curly hair styled partly up, with a center part and curls framing her face and shoulders. She wears a black button-up shirt, small gold hoop earrings, and a thin gold snake chain necklace, smiling gently at the camera against a plain light grey background.

Hello! My name is Seyma Sarikaya, and I’m a fourth-year Professional Communication student at Toronto Metropolitan University. My academic journey at TMU has given me many opportunities to further develop my skills in content creation, strategic marketing, and creative writing. With a strong foundation in communication, I have been able to lead and be a part of multiple initiatives focused on building community and increasing engagement in both social and student circles. As part of an industry that continues to evolve, I am excited to explore innovative ways to integrate my personal interests in creative media into the professional landscape.

This research project aims to explore the effects that media with positive narratives have on their consumers. When analyzing interactions with digital media, specifically the 2025 film Superman, it emphasizes themes of empathy, radical optimism, and gratitude. This study examines the relationship between emotional responses that films evoke from viewers, and their effects on human cognition.

Lightning Talk

Browse More Media Research

More Projects

Rayne Philip

Who Gets Protected and Who Gets Blamed? Intersectional Media Framing of Racialized Women in Public Crises
A close-up portrait of a young woman with warm brown skin, long dark hair, and dark eyes, looking towards the viewer with a subtle smile. She has a small gold nose ring and a Vivienne Westwood Orb stud earring, wearing a black boat-neck top, with a softly blurred indoor background.

Tiffiney Alexis-Simeon

Short-Form Video Media and Its Effects on the Behavioural & Social Development of School-Aged Children
A portrait-style close-up of a young man from the chest up, centered against a blurred light grey background. He has fair skin, light brown, somewhat disheveled hair that falls across his forehead, and light green eyes looking straight ahead. He is wearing a fitted grey turtleneck sweater, and his expression is calm and neutral with a slight hint of a smile. Soft, even lighting illuminates his face.

Sean Kapić Gomes

When Seeing Is Not Believing: AI Video and Trust on Social Media
Scroll to Top